More than 135 booked at cockfight

A rooster fighting ring was confiscated Saturday near De Queen, Ark., and a total of 34 suspects arrested for felony counts of unlawful animal fighting and 86 suspects were arrested for misdemeanor counts of unlawful animal fighting.

The raid started at 11:56 a.m. Saturday on Whistlestop Road in Sevier County, north of De Queen, according to KDQN radio news.

The warrants of arrest were served by the following law enforcement agencies: Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, the De Queen Police Department, the South Central Drug Task Force, the Arkansas State Police, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the U.S. Forestry Agency, the U.S. Wildlife Service, and Homeland Security.

The agencies booked a total of 137 people into the Sevier County jail.

Sevier County Sheriff Robert Gentry reported the investigation started about 18-months ago when his department received some calls from agencies in Texas and North Arkansas about a rooster fighting ring in the county.

Other agencies learned about the illegal activity while conducting interviews with subjects who had been arrested for drugs, Gentry said.

The investigation started about 18-months ago when his department received some calls from agencies in Texas and North Arkansas about a rooster fighting ring in the county. Gentry said other agencies learned about the illegal activity while conducting interviews with subjects who had been arrested for drugs.

Gentry said 86 suspects were charged with misdemeanor counts of unlawful animal fighting.

A total of of 34 suspects will be charged with felony counts of unlawful animal fighting.

Gentry said suspects were from as far away as New Jersey. He said others were from Mount Pleasant, Pittsburgh and San Antonio, Texas; Westen and Tulsa, Oklahoma; as well as, Fort Smith, Pine Bluff, Little Rock and Alma, Arkansas.