![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.animals24-7.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picsart_25-03-04_19-11-55-743-e1741144358153.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRandy Cozart.\u00a0 (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n STANTON,\u00a0 Texas\u2013\u2013<\/strong>Concern over the role of cockfighting in spreading the H5N1 avian influenza may have helped to instigate recent locally initiated cockfighting busts in Washington,\u00a0 Kansas,\u00a0 New Jersey,\u00a0 and Ohio, but Sheriff Randy Cozart,\u00a0 63,\u00a0 of Martin County,\u00a0 Texas,\u00a0 does not appear to have gotten the memo.<\/p>\n (See Trump administration plan to fight H5N1 ignores cockfighting<\/a>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The peckerheads were allegedly at it again on March 1,\u00a0 2025,\u00a0 Showing Animals Respect & Kindness founder Steve Hindi notified Cozart at 2973 I-20 Service Road,\u00a0 just southwest of Stanton, \u00a0Texas,\u00a0 at geo coordinates 32.1004, -101.8718,\u00a0 visible on Google Earth at Alleged I-20 cockfighting location.<\/strong><\/em> Showing Animals Respect & Kindness also posted the location information extensively to social media.<\/p>\n But no bust followed.<\/p>\n Emailed Hindi to Cozart on March 4,\u00a0 2025,\u00a0 \u201cYou and I have spoken by phone about this location in the past. \u00a0You know about it, \u00a0as did your predecessor, \u00a0Sheriff Brad Ingram.<\/p>\n \u201cRegardless, \u00a0the illegal cockfight pit is still running. \u00a0Last Saturday night, \u00a0I was one of numerous people who called your\u00a0office to report it. \u00a0The difference between me and others who called is that I was actually watching it in real time.<\/p>\n Alleged cockfighter carries gamecock into the I-20 location.<\/strong><\/em> \u201cI have attached a couple of images for you to review,\u201d\u00a0 Hindi told Cozart.\u00a0 \u201cThe first is an infrared image showing a large number of vehicles. \u00a0There were plenty of criminals to arrest, \u00a0had your deputies been inclined to do their sworn duty.<\/p>\n \u201cThe second is of a cockfighter holding a rooster.<\/p>\n \u201cAt no point did your deputies show up,\u201d\u00a0 Hindi reminded Cozart. \u00a0\u201cThe event shut down early either because my organization posted news about it online, \u00a0or worse, \u00a0because your office called them and told them to stop for the night.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly you know,\u201d\u00a0 Hindi charged, \u00a0\u201cif your officers simply refused to act, \u00a0or if they are actually working hand in hand with the criminals. \u00a0Either way, \u00a0it\u2019s corruption.<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI am copying others in the Martin County court system,\u201d\u00a0 Hindi said, \u00a0\u201cso that everyone will know that there is a long-running, \u00a0criminal operation known to your office, \u00a0and like Sheriff Ingram, you are doing nothing.<\/p>\n \u201cWithin a few days,\u201d\u00a0 Hindi pledged, \u00a0\u201cwe will post video\u00a0documentation.<\/p>\n \u201cI will also be contacting state law enforcement and the FBI.<\/p>\n \u201cSheriff Cozart,\u201d\u00a0 Hindi concluded,\u00a0 \u201cyou gave me your personal assurance that this illegal operation would not be allowed to continue under your administration.\u201d<\/p>\n 2973 I-20 Service Road,\u00a0 geo coordinates 32.1004, -101.8717.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The address of the alleged illegal cockfight,\u00a0 owned according to public records by Sonia Guerrero Perez,\u00a0 65,\u00a0 should have already been familiar to Cozart,\u00a0 Martin County sheriff for two four-year terms from 2001 to 2009,\u00a0 returned to office by the voters in November 2024.<\/p>\n The address appears to have been the same location that Martin County and neighboring Midland County sheriff\u2019s deputies raided on January 31,\u00a0 2009.<\/p>\n The team reportedly confiscated $88,000 in cash and illegal drugs including cocaine,\u00a0 making 83 arrests,\u00a0 including several arrests of alleged illegal immigrants.<\/p>\n Impounded were 39 vehicles and 105 gamefowl.<\/p>\n Sheriff Randy Cozart.<\/strong><\/em> A follow-up bust at a different location,\u00a0 on March 6,\u00a0 2010,\u00a0 brought nine arrests,\u00a0 impounding eight gamecocks and $2,000 in cash, \u00a0reported Audrie Palmer for the Midland\u00a0Reporter-Telegram<\/em>. \u00a0Four children were also found at the scene.<\/p>\n Cozart,\u00a0 however,\u00a0 had moved on.<\/p>\n Leaving the Martin County sheriff\u2019s department to work for \u201ca major oilfield company and as a deputy with the Andrews Sheriff\u2019s Department,\u201d\u00a0 53 miles west,\u00a0 Cozart returned to head the Martin County sheriff\u2019s office in 2024 on a pledge \u201cto get Martin County back to a drug-free zone.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen was the last drug bust in Martin County? \u00a0I\u2019ll tell you when,\u201d\u00a0 Cozart said. \u00a0\u201cIt was late 2006 when I headed the drug bust as sheriff. \u00a0It resulted in 12 arrests right here in Stanton. \u00a0Marijuana, \u00a0cocaine, \u00a0and heroin.\u201d<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Apparently Cozart overlooked the cocaine found during the 2009 cockfighting raid.\u00a0 But Cozart was not the Martin County sheriff then,\u00a0 having been succeeded by John Woodward II.<\/p>\n After participating in what appear to be the only two cockfighting busts on record in Martin County,\u00a0 Woodward resigned in December 2014,\u00a0 after\u00a0the Odessa American<\/em> reported that a former deputy testified that Woodward had received a tattoo from an inmate in his office while the two were drinking in March 2013,\u00a0 the Midland Reporter-Telegram<\/em> summarized.<\/p>\n Indicted on October 26,\u00a0 2018 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and family violence,\u00a0 Woodward pleaded guilty to the family violence charge on June 18,\u00a0 2019.<\/p>\n Former Martin County,\u00a0 Texas Brad Ingram. (Facebook photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Brad Ingram,\u00a0 then a Martin County sheriff\u2019s deputy,\u00a0 became sheriff upon Woodward\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n Completing the last two years of Woodward\u2019s term,\u00a0 Ingram,\u00a0 ran for re-election on March 5,\u00a0 2024 on a platform including the odd phrase that \u201cServing as Martin County sheriff can be challenging,\u00a0 especially with the task of making sure Midland and Big Spring,\u201d\u00a0 two neighboring jurisdictions, \u00a0\u201cdon\u2019t overstep their boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n Both local cockfighting busts executed during Woodward\u2019s two years in office involved both Midland and Martin counties.<\/p>\n But Ingram did have a chance to lead a cockfighting bust of his own.<\/p>\n Steve Hindi.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hindi and others with Showing Animals Respect & Kindness on March 24,\u00a0 2024 tried unsuccessfully to motivate Ingram to respond to an illegal cockfight also allegedly held at 2973 I-20 Service Road,\u00a0 geo coordinates 32.1004, -101.8717.<\/p>\n \u201cYour office was called,\u201d\u00a0 Hindi emailed to Ingram on Monday morning,\u00a0 March 26,\u00a0 2024, \u201cand the pit location was given to your dispatcher. \u00a0A number of additional calls were made in\u00a0an attempt to initiate police\u00a0action,\u00a0 but the cockfight was\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0busted.<\/p>\n \u201cIn fact, \u00a0it appears the cockfighters were tipped off,\u201d\u00a0 Hindi charged, \u00a0\u201cas after some time, \u00a0they abruptly ended their illegal cockfight and took off well before their planned conclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Elsewhere on the cockfighting front,\u00a0 an Atlantic County,\u00a0 New Jersey grand jury on February 27,\u00a0 2025 announced the indictments of 48 suspects \u201cin an alleged cockfighting ring that was broken up by authorities in Atlantic County last year,\u201d\u00a0 reported Nicolas Fernandes of NJ.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cDetectives started investigating the operation when they found digital invitations to one of the fights, \u00a0which was scheduled for March 2024,\u201d\u00a0 wrote Fernandes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe invitations eventually led investigators to an arena in Galloway where the events were being held, the Atlantic County Prosecutor\u2019s Office said.\u201d<\/p>\n Fifty-two suspects were arrested at the scene,\u00a0 50 gamefowl were impounded,\u00a0 and cocaine and $37,000 in cash believed to be the proceeds of gambling were also reportedly seized.<\/p>\nSheriffs in 0ffice for 23 of 25 years have yet to bust a cockfight at a known location<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/WzEU5wEyJqrNvywd7<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
(Showing Animals Respect & Kindness photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nNo bust followed<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
(Showing Animals Respect & Kindness photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201cEither way,\u00a0 it\u2019s corruption\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cCopying others\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nLocation should have been familiar<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
(Martin County photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201cGet Martin County back to a drug-free zone\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nProblematic sheriff,\u00a0 but busted two cockfights<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nNext sheriff ran on pledge to make sure neighboring sheriffs \u201cdon\u2019t overstep their boundaries\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cIt appears the cockfighters were tipped off\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n48 cockfighting indictments in New Jersey<\/h2>\n