LOGAN COUNTY, Okla.— Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following statement regarding the Sunday, May 25, 2025, arrests of eight people in Logan County, Oklahoma, on charges related to cockfighting.
“Cockfighting is a gruesome and senseless form of animal abuse, and it is rightly treated as a felony under Oklahoma and federal law,” Pacelle said. “These fights are not only a spectacle of suffering, but they’re also often tied to gambling, narcotics, and other forms of criminal behavior that undermine community safety. We need vigorous enforcement and stronger legal tools to root out this cruelty wherever it occurs.”
These arrests by the Logan County Sheriff’s Office underscore the persistent presence of animal fighting ventures in our communities, despite being outlawed. It is good to see a sheriff’s office prioritize the enforcement of animal cruelty laws to protect both animals and public safety.
“We urge lawmakers to support measures like the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, which would provide additional tools to combat animal fighting and related crimes,” added Pacelle. “Together, we can work towards ending these inhumane practices and promoting a more compassionate society.”
“This investigation and resultant arrests by Logan County Sheriff Damon Devereaux’s Office highlight the need for vigorous enforcement of anti-cruelty laws across our state,” said Kevin Chambers, Oklahoma State Director of Animal Wellness Action. “Every weekend, cockfighters gather to strap sharp blades on fighting roosters and force them to fight to the death while onlookers bet on the outcome. Kudos to sheriffs who take action against this bloodsport.”
Animal Wellness Action is urging Senators Markwayne Mullin and James Lankford, as well as members of the Oklahoma congressional delegation, to cosponsor the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking Act, or FIGHT Act, led by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., and Cory Booker, D.N.J., and Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Andrea Salinas, D-Ore. The legislation is endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association, the National District Attorneys’ Association, the United Egg Producers, and the American Gaming Association.
A fact sheet on the FIGHT Act is available here.
Arrests Related to Logan County Cockfighting Case
The Logan County Sheriff’s Office arrested eight individuals on May 25, 2025, on charges related to cockfighting. Arrested for being spectators at a cockfight were Eliaquin De La Rosa Campos, 49, of Guthrie; Noe Esquivel-Mesta, 51, of Oklahoma City; Juan A. Lopez Martinez, 31, of Oklahoma City; Michael Steven Hinton, 32, of Edmond; Luis A. Galindo-Castaneda, 38, of Oklahoma City; and Gustavo Padilla-Rivera, 55, of Kingfisher. Manuel Francisco Rios-Arellano, 63, of Dover, was arrested for owning, keeping or training birds for fighting. Maria Dejesus-Flores, 65, of unknown address, was arrested for servicing or facilitating a cockfight.