Federal agents arrested 53-year-old Raymond Nunez in Hacienda Heights on Wednesday, accusing him of running an illegal dogfighting operation out of his home. Prosecutors allege Nunez bought, bred, and trained dogs for fights and kept firearms despite a prior felony conviction. The arrest followed a search and seizure that investigators described as cruel to animals and dangerous to the community.
The FBI's Los Angeles field office first announced the arrest on X, according to a post by FBI Los Angeles. In that post, the bureau said Nunez had been charged with hosting dog fights and illegally breeding, training, and exhibiting dogs for use in those fights, confirming that federal authorities had taken the lead on the case.
Raymond Nunez, 53, was arrested today and charged with hosting dog fights and illegally breeding, training, and exhibiting dogs for use in such fights.
— FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) March 5, 2026
Details: https://t.co/xgPjwVRpsM pic.twitter.com/Wn2MCR9DM4
Search Warrant Turned Up Weapons, Injured Dogs And Training Gear
Agents executed a search warrant at Nunez’s Hacienda Heights residence and seized firearms, two pit bulls in poor condition and equipment commonly used to condition fighting dogs, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Among the items agents say they found: an AK-47-style rifle, a shotgun, roughly 10 firearms stored in a bedroom safe, an emaciated pit bull chained and bleeding in the yard, a second scarred pit bull in a bloody cage, multiple dog treadmills, a rope and scale used for weighing dogs, and veterinary tools including a skin stapler and syringes.
Federal Counts And Potential Penalties
The federal complaint charges Nunez with buying, delivering and possessing animals for an animal-fighting venture, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm, with the alleged conduct occurring from at least December 2025 through February 2026, according to FBI Los Angeles. If convicted, Nunez would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said, noting that the case is part of a multiagency Dog Fighting and Animal Abuse Task Force.
Where This Fits In A Regional Crackdown
Federal authorities have increased investigations into animal-fighting ventures and large-scale cruelty cases in Southern California in recent years, often uncovering organized shows, gambling and trafficking tied to weapons offenses. In 2024, an FBI probe in the Inland Empire revealed a property that hosted animal fights and related illegal activity, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, highlighting a broader law enforcement focus on such underground operations.
Next Steps
Court papers state that Nunez is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in downtown Los Angeles as the case progresses. The FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service are handling the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Mitchell of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section is prosecuting the matter, according to prosecutors.
