Hector M. Cruz, Animal Fight Participation, New York 2024

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Bronx Teacher Charged in Cockfighting Venture

A Bronx teacher has been charged with animal welfare violations for his alleged involvement in a cockfighting venture, authorities announced Wednesday.

Hector M. Cruz, 59, a teacher at a New York City public school, was arrested Wednesday and charged with selling, possessing, and transporting animals for purposes of participation in an animal fight.

According to the allegations, Cruz maintained a rooster farm in the Bronx from December 2012 to January 2017, where he bred, raised, and trained roosters for cockfighting. He allegedly sold and shipped the birds to individuals across the country, knowing they were intended for cockfights.

Cruz communicated with customers through social media and received payments of as much as $600 for fighting birds, authorities said.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A U.S. magistrate judge will determine the maximum potential sentence.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara praised the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, and the NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, thanking them for their support and assistance with the case.

The prosecution is being overseen by the Office’s General Crimes Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. McGinnis and Alison G. Moe in charge of the case.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and Cruz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is a stark reminder of the cruel and inhumane nature of cockfighting, a practice that involves attaching knives or other sharp instruments to the legs of roosters for the purpose of fighting each other.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, and the NYPD are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who participate in animal fighting ventures, which often involve other forms of criminal activity such as drugs, firearms, and gambling.