Reports: FBI kidnapping investigation ends in bust of cockfighting ring in Miami-Dade
A man was arrested Tuesday after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents discovered a “large cockfighting ring” while looking into a possible kidnapping in southwest Miami-Dade County, according to news reports.
Leonardo Cabrera is facing three charges related to animal fighting and animal cruelty, county jail records show. The 59-year-old remained behind bars Wednesday night at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Citing Cabrera’s arrest report, WPLG Local 10 News said FBI agents alerted Miami-Dade police after executing a search warrant at his home in the 24000 block of Southwest 123rd Avenue. There investigators found roosters with shaved feathers in cages — a common cockfighting practice — and rooster fighting paraphernalia such as syringes and spurs.
According to Local 10, the arrest report doesn’t say whether a kidnapped victim was found nor whether Cabrera was a target of the federal investigation.
Footage showed multiple law enforcement officers at the property, according to NBC 6. Several animal services workers and at least one forensic veterinarian were also at the scene removing items, the news channel said.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 9:10 PM.
