Customs officers seize 96 illegal rooster blades at Texas-Mexico border

LAREDO, Texas — Customs agents seized 96 prohibited rooster blades at the border between the U.S. and Mexico on Thursday, authorities said.

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According to a news release on Friday from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the blades, which are prohibited in the U.S. and are used for illegal cockfighting, were confiscated after an inspection at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo.

The seizure at the bridge occurred after a customs officer referred a Ford E350 van for a secondary inspection, authorities said. Following a physical inspection, agents discovered six packages, which contained a total of 96 rooster blades.

These blades are illegal in the U.S. under Title 7 U.S. Code 2156. The law states that buying, selling, delivering, or transporting sharp instruments across the border for use in animal fighting ventures is prohibited, the news release states.

The blades were confiscated and the driver was fined $500 for attempting to bring the blades into the country.

“Cockfighting is an inhumane, age-old practice that is primarily associated to other illegal activities such as gambling and trafficking,” Alberto Flores, port director for the Laredo Port of Entry, said in a statement. “CBP aims to prevent these acts of animal cruelty with this seizure, which aids in the protection and welfare of these animals.”