Cockfighting investigation leads to 3 arrests, 400+ birds seized in Nye County

NYE COUNTY (KTNV) — Three people have been arrested, hundreds of birds are in custody and thousands of dollars were seized after an investigation into possible cockfighting in Nye County.

The Nye County Sheriff's Office executed two search warrants and two separate Pahrump locations for allegedly breeding and training birds for illegal fighting activities.

During the operations, Jorge Guzman Torres, Grisel Juarez Diaz and Ignacio Juarez Gomez were arrested.

Torres is in the U.S. on a permanent resident card and is facing the following charges:

• 56 felony counts of owning a bird for the purpose of cockfighting
• 56 felony counts of animal abuse
• 2 felony counts of operating a residence for the purpose of cockfighting
• 1 gross misdemeanor count of conspiracy to operate a residence for the purpose of cockfighting
• 63 gross misdemeanor counts of possession of a gaff (a curved round metal spike that tapers to a needle-sharp point, resembling a miniature ice pick)
• 9 felony counts of possession of personal identifying information to establish a false identity or status

Diaz, whose immigration status is pending, is facing charges including:

• 29 felony counts of owning a bird for the purpose of cockfighting
• 1 felony count of maintaining a residence for the purpose of cockfighting
• 1 gross misdemeanor count of conspiracy to operate a residence for the purpose of cockfighting
• 29 felony counts of animal abuse
• 63 gross misdemeanor counts of possession of a gaff

Gomez, who Nye County authorities said is undocumented, is being charged with:

• 1 felony count of operating a premises for the purpose of cockfighting
• 1 felony count of owning a bird for the purpose of cockfighting
• 1 gross misdemeanor count of conspiracy to operate a residence for the purpose of cockfighting
• 20 gross misdemeanor counts of possession of a gaff
• 1 felony count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm

Items seized during the execution of the warrants included cockfighting implements, 11 firearms, 478 birds, and more than $60,000 in cash.

This large-scale operation involved multiple agencies and divisions, including Homeland Security Investigations, United States Department of Agriculture, Nye County Animal Control, Nye County Sheriff's Office SWAT and the Sheriff’s Auxiliary Unit.