Five Kentucky Men Indicted in Federal Cockfighting Crackdown

Federal indictments filed on Sept. 10, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky charge five Kentucky men with participating in extensive cockfighting operations, according to Animal Wellness Action. The case marks a significant development in federal animal-fighting enforcement, arriving five years after animal-welfare groups detailed illicit breeding and shipping networks in the state.

Federal Charges Target Five Kentucky Men in Cockfighting Crackdown

The federal indictments filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky target Christopher Copas, Don Ray Haley, also known as Donny Haley, James Holland, Ramon Escamilla, and Eric Escamilla in separate cases, according to reports from Animal Wellness Action. Federal agents executed search warrants on June 23 and 24, 2026, at multiple Kentucky gamefowl-breeding operations. Those warrants cited alleged violations of 7 U.S.C. § 2156, which prohibits animal fighting; 18 U.S.C. § 371 for conspiracy; and 18 U.S.C. § 554 for smuggling goods from the United States.

Calling the federal indictments a watershed moment in the enforcement of federal animal-fighting laws, three animal-welfare organizations today applauded federal charges against five Kentucky men accused of participating in extensive cockfighting operations. Animal Wellness Action

Specific Operations and Alleged Violations Outlined in Indictments

Christopher Copas of Bowling Green operated Kentucky Acres Game Farm at 1200 Price Chapel Road for the purpose of breeding, raising, training, and selling roosters for cockfighting, according to court documents cited by Animal Wellness Action. The indictment alleges that Copas possessed roosters and immature male chickens for animal-fighting ventures, alongside a charge of knowingly possessing a Lorcin Model L25 .25-caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number.

Don Ray Haley operated a rooster-breeding operation at 165 Phillips Road in Elkton, Kentucky, while James Holland and others operated Possum Hill Gamefowl at 1975 Claypool Alvaton Road in Bowling Green, according to the same indictments. Both men face charges for knowingly possessing roosters and immature male chickens intended for animal-fighting ventures. Ramon Escamilla and Eric Escamilla are also named in the separate federal indictments filed in the Western District of Kentucky.

Law Enforcement Agencies and Animal Welfare Groups Respond

The enforcement action involved the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Kentucky State Police, alongside other federal, state, and local agencies. Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) praised the multi-agency crackdown.

Several years ago, we identified Kentucky cockfighting complexes shipping fighting animals to die in pits around the nation and around the world, said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. Pacelle noted that investigators utilized online investigations, undercover work inside pits, and drone surveillance to uncover the operations.

Cockfighting gangs and cartels, and their interwoven ties to drug, weapons, and human trafficking, are on par with terrorism, and must be fought nationwide, said Steve Hindi, president of SHARK. Hindi’s organization reported uncovering more than a dozen illicit fighting pits featuring stadium-style seating across Kentucky.