Hundreds of birds found after cockfighting operation busted in the Keys, deputies say

A Key West man was arrested Monday after deputies said they found a cockfighting operation on his property several miles outside the Southernmost City — complete with 310 birds and a bloody fight ring.

Luis Blanco Jr., 54, faces felony charges of owning property used for animal fighting and owning equipment used for animal fighting after deputies searched a property in the 500 block of Park Drive on Rockland Key, said Adam Linhardt, a spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Blanco was jailed on Monday evening, but online sheriff’s office records did not indicate where he was being housed. His bond was set at $50,000; it’s unclear whether he has an attorney.

An anonymous tip that chickens were being bred to fight at the Park Drive home sparked the investigation, Linhardt said.

Detectives went to the border of the property and saw many caged roosters, the fight ring and a “bait stick,” which in this case is a plush chicken head on a stick used to anger the roosters in the ring, according to Linhardt.

After obtaining a search warrant, deputies returned to the property.

In addition to the caged roosters, Linhardt noted that deputies found an assortment of items used in cockfighting: spurs, sewing needles, syringes, stopwatches and liquid drugs used to treat infections.

“Many of the roosters were injured with their wattles and combs trimmed as is common when they are used for fighting,” he said.

Linhardt on Monday added that he didn’t know what would immediately become of the roosters and said the Florida Keys SPCA is involved in the case.

The roosters haven’t gone anywhere at the moment.

The birds already have a caretaker at the Rockland Key site, said Matt Royer, director of operations at the Florida Keys SPCA..

“I gave [the caretaker] an order to take care of them,” said Royer, who suspects that the birds were largely being housed at the property on Rockland Key and possibly taken to other locations for fights.

“I don’t think they’re doing big giant fights out there,” Royer said. “I think they raise them there and keep them there. They had a ring, but it’s probably a training ring.”

Royer said the majority of birds found in the cages were roosters.

“Mostly all groomed fighting roosters,” he said. “There were a few hens but not a ton.”