MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Detectives with the Miami-Dade Police Department's Economic Crimes Bureau busted a suspected marijuana grow house and cockfighting operation Thursday morning.
Three properties in southwest Miami-Dade County were targeted in the raid. The discovery of the growhouse and cockfighting operation was discovered while Local 10 News investigative reporter Christina Vazquez was traveling with the detectives in relation to an upcoming Call Christina gas theft investigation.
Police said a stash of 25 marijuana plants, estimated to be worth about $100,000, was seized from a property at 11002 SW 122nd Place.
In the wallet of Yuriel Perez, one of the suspected ring leaders, was a gas card loaded with a victim's personal information.
Sky 10 was above another property at 12271 SW 46th St. as several people were sitting on the lawn handcuffed. Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said a cockfighting operation was discovered at the property, where dozens of roosters, a few pigs and a large amount of birds were discovered.
Miami-Dade Animal Control officials are expected to take the animals that were found alive.
Marijuana was also found bagged inside a pickup truck that was parked on one of the properties.
Sky 10 was above the scene shortly before noon as the suspected ringleader of the operation was taken away in handcuffs.
According to Zabaleta, the bust was made while detectives were investigating a fuel theft ring in the area. He said the suspects who were targeted would fraudulently obtain fuel and resell the fuel at a lower price.
Detectives told Vazquez that the suspects installed credit card skimming devices at gas stations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to fund the fuel purchases. The fuel was then filled into illegal fuel-bladder vehicles.
A property at 4055 SW 108th Avenue was also raided.
Zabaleta said three to five people are expected to be charged in the case.
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