Federal Warning Issued Amid Reports of Cockfighting Matches in U.S. Virgin Islands

The United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands, Delia L. Smith, has issued a reminder to residents that cockfighting remains illegal under federal law. This prohibition, outlined in the Agricultural Improvement Act (P.L. 115-334) of December 20, 2019, extends to all U.S. territories, including the Virgin Islands. Animal fighting is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, said U.S. Attorney Smith, who stressed that federal law prohibits numerous activities tied to animal fighting ventures. These include sponsoring, exhibiting, or attending such events, as well as the sale, transport, or training of animals for fighting purposes. Additionally, the law bans the trafficking of knives and gaffs used in cockfighting. While federal legislation outlawed the shipment of fighting birds to the Virgin Islands from the mainland United States as early as 2002, recent reports indicate that cockfighting matches continue in the community. U.S. Attorney Smith spoke to the...