A joint Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Border Enforcement Security Task Force sting has bust an alleged illegal cockfighting and gambling operation in Mississippi’s Harrison County.
According to WLOX, search-warranted HSI agents raided a farm in the Lizana neighborhood over the weekend.
barn furnished with a cockfighting arena
According to reports, officers discovered more than 24 people in a barn furnished with a cockfighting arena “lined with plexiglass and rows of seats for spectating. Among the 100s of chickens on the Lizana property, the fighting birds were “equipped with sharp, bladed spurs.”
HSI found cockfighting matches scheduled for later on Saturday with bettors already placing wagers. Agents arrested more than 20 people for multiple charges, with some participants identified as illegal immigrants.
ICE HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune stated: “underground gambling operations such as these often have ties to other significant crimes, including narcotics violations, money laundering and acts of violence.”
DeLaune added his agency was “proud” to end the operation and crimes that “degrade the safety of our communities.”
Along with the illegal cockfighting, gambling, and immigrants, the HSI sting also found narcotics and weapons on the farm.
