Cockfighting arrests crowd Miami-Dade County jail, courts

Bail bondsmen keep busy after about 200 arrests Thursday

MIAMI – Thursday's raid of a massive cockfighting ring has resulted in a sudden influx of inmates in the Miami-Dade County jail and court system.

"I got here at 8:30 last night and I'm still here," bail bondsman Ana Blanco said Friday morning outside the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

She had already posted bond for 25 of the about 200 people arrested by Miami-Dade police at a 5-acre lot in a remote section of southwest Miami-Dade County that investigators said was home to one of the largest cockfighting rings they'd ever seen.

Inside, police said, they found stacks of cages with about 50 birds -- some alive, some dead.

Some of those arrested appeared in bond court Friday morning. The docket was filled with people facing charges of animal fighting or gambling.

Many of the suspects were hiring bondsmen to post the $5,000 bond.

The parking lot of the facility was crowded with cars and there were dozens of people standing outside waiting for the suspects to be released.

Bondsman Eddy Jimenez said they're going to have a long day.

"It usually takes between six and eight hours, but they're looking at 13 hours for some of them," he said.

Miami-Dade police identified the alleged ringleader as Francisco Ruiz Arias. He was released from jail Friday afternoon, yelling "Viva los gallos," which means "long live the rooster" in Spanish.