Colombia: Illegal betting, dog fighting ring busted in La Calera
In a joint operation led by the Carabineros Police and the Special Group for the Fight Against Animal Abuse (GELMA) of the Attorney General's Office, a farm in the municipality of La Calera, Cundinamarca, was raided. The farm was operating as a clandestine fighting center. Investigators confirmed that this activity was part of a sophisticated illegal sports betting circuit with international ramifications. The discovery included corrals with traces of blood, indicating the systematic staging of violent dog fights.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 13 people, including four Colombian citizens and nine foreigners of Ecuadorian, Venezuelan, and Dominican nationalities. A detail that highlights the network's organization is the capture of a veterinarian responsible for treating injured animals to ensure they could continue participating in the fights. Those involved have already accepted charges for animal abuse and death, and could face prison sentences ranging from 3 to 8 years.
Details of the investigation and criminal structure
The investigation was activated after monitoring a pitbull known in fighting circuits in Ecuador that entered the country through El Dorado airport. The network's leaders rented a property from an elderly person to improvise a wooden ring, charging admission fees ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 Colombian pesos per attendee.
- Evidence of doping: Authorities seized high-potency medications used to alter the animals' performance and aggressiveness during fights.
- Rescued animals: A total of 12 dogs were placed under protection after being found with scars, signs of malnutrition, and in deplorable physical condition.
- War trophies: Owners of victorious animals received special collars and belts as symbols of triumph in these clandestine sports betting operations.
- Extreme cruelty: The official report indicated the discovery of two dead dogs and the use of other animals as live bait for training the strongest fighters.
Social and legal impact on the sector
Senator Andrea Padilla described the intervention as a historic blow against a practice that, although illegal in Colombia since 1989, continues to operate in the clandestinity of unregulated sports betting. This operation highlights the need to strengthen surveillance over marginal sports betting circuits that operate outside the legal system and are often linked to other transnational criminal networks.
Tags: Colombia, illegal gambling Colombia, underground dog fights, dog fight betting