Sergio Ruiz-Osorio, 54 years old, was arrested in southwest Miami-Dade as the second suspect in the alleged cockfighting ring uncovered this week on a 10-acre property in the Horse Country area, according to county authorities.
What led to his arrest was a sign hanging on the property with the name "Los Laureles, Sale of Animals" and a phone number: the detectives called that number, Ruiz-Osorio answered and identified himself as the owner of the animals.
At that moment, he said he was in Naples, but he promised to return to the location. When he arrived, he was taken into custody without resistance and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center for processing.
He faces two serious charges under Florida law: possession or ownership of animals for fighting and animal cruelty with the intent to injure or kill.
On Wednesday, prior to his arrest, detectives had searched an additional section of the farm and found approximately 125 roosters, 16 dogs, three cats, goats, turtles, and various birds, all in what the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department (MDSO) arrest report described as a "state of visible neglect."
The animals had no access to food or water; the turtles had only limited water and showed signs of stress.
In that same section, a closed training ring, a rooster shaker, and other paraphernalia associated with fighting were also found. Miami-Dade Animal Services removed all the animals from the property.
This second arrest occurs days after the first: last weekend, Carlos Rafael Lezcano, 52, was detained after attempting to escape by jumping a fence during the initial search of the property. He was found in a nearby nursery and faces four charges, including tampering with evidence and resisting authority. His bail has been set at $10,500.
The investigation began on Saturday, October 4, when the FBI was inspecting the property for an unrelated matter and stumbled upon what appeared to be a large-scale cockfighting operation. Federal agents alerted the MDSO's Vice and Intelligence Squad, and that same night, a judge approved a specific search warrant.
The next day, the detectives found "several thousand" fighting roosters — Unvision estimated the discovery at least 6,000 birds — along with multiple training rings, used spurs, boxing gloves, syringes, medications, and vitamins.
Under the Florida Statute 828.122, cockfighting is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of up to $5,000. At the federal level, organizing or actively participating in animal fights can result in an additional five years of imprisonment.
This case surpasses previous operations in the area in scale. In April of this year, two men were arrested in the southwest of the county after between 500 and 600 roosters were found on another property. In May 2025, the MDSO dismantled a network in Redland with 42 arrests, 72 roosters seized, and nearly $40,000 in cash confiscated.
After that operation, the sheriff of Miami-Dade, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, warned: "Animal fights are not only inhumane, but they often accompany other serious crimes."
Related videos:
Filed under: