Officers of the US Customs and Border Protection at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge confiscated illegal rooster blades used for cockfighting. According to a Customs and Border Protection news release, the officers referred a vehicle for a secondary inspection. They then searched a truck and found six packages containing around 96 blades.
Rooster blades, commonly referred to as “gaffs” by cockfighters, are sharp and shaped like curved ice picks. They are tied to roosters’ legs during cockfights.
Officers seized the blades and fined the driver 500 USD.
Cockfighting blades are prohibited in the US under a law that prevents buying, selling, or transporting sharp instruments used in animal fighting activities. Cockfighting itself is also illegal in the US.
“Cockfighting is an inhumane, age-old practice that is primarily associated with other illegal activities such as gambling and trafficking,” said Alberto Flores, director of the Laredo Point of Entry.
“CBP aims to prevent these acts of animal cruelty with this seizure, which aids in the protection and welfare of these animals,” he added.
