Drug Raid Leads to Cockfighting Ring Discovery

Four men and two women were arrested at a home just north of Lancaster Wednesday morning following a raid in which police found an estimated $1 million worth of methamphetamine and products used to manufacture the drug on the property.

Lancaster deputies obtained a warrant to search for narcotics. When they raided the property, they found something more jarring-- approximately 100 roosters in what appeared to be a cockfighting operation.

The home, which was located on the 46200 block of 30th Street East, was thought to be a possible venue for narcotics sales, according to Deputy Michael Rust of the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station.

Part of the 5-acre ranch "was cordoned off with garage doors, and behind the doors were where roosters were living," said Rust.

Deputies uncovered dozens of cages, performance enhancing vitamins, steroids, and sparring muffs – leather covered balls strapped onto birds’ legs for training – leading them to believe they uncovered a cockfighting operation.

They also found 5 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunks of two cars being stored on the property, as well as other items related to the manufacture and sale of the drug.

Rust said they found 15 people living on the property, seven of whom were kids ages 4-17. The others were adults.

"The ranch had buildings with nothing more than just converted chicken coops." said Rust. "Based on the overall living conditions, coupled with the illegal activity, the kids were all taken into protective custody by children’s services."

Rust did not know exactly what the suspects were charged with, but said the claims were related to narcotic sales and child endangerment.

Rust said what happens to the birds is up to animal control.

"It’s my understanding they will take the birds and do a blood test to see if they have steroids in their system. I think the birds they find [with steroids], they’ll destroy them. The birds who weren’t injected, I’m not sure what they’ll do with them."

 

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