The FBI raided a 10-acre property in the 12300 block of Southwest 51st Street and uncovered what investigators describe as a massive cockfighting operation holding several thousand game fowl roosters. One man, 52-year-old Carlos Rafael Lezcano, was arrested after allegedly being found walking near a nearby nursery once the raid began.
The FBI had contacted the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office about the property, according to a report from NBC 6 South Florida. When investigators moved in, they say they found numerous enclosed cockfighting training rings, along with paraphernalia that included vitamins, syringes, medication, fighting spurs, boxing gloves, and rooster agitators. About 100 of the birds were kept in individual housing, separate from the thousands of other roosters scattered across the property, per the same report.
As the operation unfolded, two men reportedly breached the secured perimeter and fled on foot after jumping a fence. Lezcano was later found walking at a nearby nursery and taken into custody, the station's report states. Investigators also say they recovered a ledger bearing his name at the property, according to the report.
Charges Filed Against Suspect
Lezcano faces four charges: animal cruelty with intent to injure or kill, tampering with physical evidence, possessing animals for fighting, and resisting an officer without violence, the outlet reports. He was booked into jail, and no attorney information was available for him as of the report.
Under Florida Statute 828.122, known as the Animal Fighting Act, knowingly owning, managing, or operating a facility used for animal fighting is classified as a third-degree felony, according to the Florida Legislature. Separately, third-degree felony animal cruelty charges in Florida can carry up to five years in prison, fines as high as $10,000, and a mandatory minimum fine of $2,500 plus psychological counseling when intentional torture or torment is involved, per Goldman Wetzel.
FBI Involvement Points to Bigger Federal Push
Animal-fighting networks can involve interstate trafficking and illegal gambling, according to Animal Wellness Action. Under federal law, including the Animal Welfare Act, sponsoring, exhibiting, buying, selling, or possessing animals for fighting ventures tied to interstate commerce is a federal felony carrying up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000 per violation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
That federal interest has sharpened recently. In January, the Florida Sheriffs' Association and the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association formally endorsed legislation including the FIGHT Act and ACE Act, per Animal Wellness Action. The ACE Act would establish an Animal Cruelty Crimes Section within the U.S. Department of Justice, while a separate bill would establish a dedicated FBI Animal Cruelty Taskforce. Separately, the federal Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act makes attending an animal fight a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison, while bringing a child under 16 to a fight is a federal felony punishable by up to three years, according to the National Sheriffs' Association.
Part of a Recurring Pattern in Southwest Miami-Dade
This bust fits a familiar pattern for Southwest Miami-Dade's semi-rural pockets. In August 2025, Miami-Dade police arrested 62-year-old Alfredo Miranda during a cockfighting raid in the Redland area on Southwest 202nd Street, charging him with property management for animal fighting and illegal animal possession, according to Local 10 News. In May 2025, sheriff's deputies arrested 42 people after breaking up a ring on Southwest 192nd Avenue following a report of a fight involving knives and machetes, seizing 72 roosters and $39,147 in cash, per FOX 35 Orlando.
Earlier still, in March 2024, police arrested five men in the Horse Country neighborhood after an illegal dumping investigation revealed an active cockfighting operation with roosters, cages, and fighting rings in place. Hoodline previously reported on a similar case in the same region in February, when deputies busted a backyard cockfighting ring and arrested property owner Leonardo Cabrera on felony animal-fighting charges.
It remains unclear whether federal indictments will follow against Lezcano or other property owners, how Miami-Dade Animal Services will handle the disposition and health evaluations of the thousands of seized roosters, or whether the two men who fled the perimeter will face charges.
