Man Indicted for Dog-Fighting Violations in Puerto Rico
A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment yesterday charging Antonio Casillas-Montero, a.k.a. Stone City Kennel with conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act.
Casillas-Montero, who has operated Stone City Kennel for over 30 years, has participated in over 150 dog fights in locations that have included Puerto Rico, México, Ecuador, Perú, the Dominican Republic, New Jersey and New York.
The investigation, led by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General (USDA OIG), Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI), and the Humacao Strike Force East, revealed that Casillas-Montero trained dogs in Puerto Rico for fights, using steroids and chaining pit-bull type dogs to treadmills to walk or run for miles.
Casillas-Montero also sent his dogs outside of the United States to be conditioned for fighting, including to St. Croix and Ecuador, and sold pit-bull type dogs for animal fighting ventures, including a female "champion" for approximately $20,000.
On October 6, 2022, four pit-bull-type dogs chained to stakes in the ground near over-turned barrels were found on property associated with Casillas-Montero in Humacao, Puerto Rico.
If convicted, Casillas-Montero faces up to five years in prison.
Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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