Two men face a long list of charges, including animal cruelty, after Nash County Sheriff’s deputies disrupted a “large” cockfighting ring.
Ascencion Yanez-Castro, 60, and 41-year-old Marcos Autrey Sr., 41, were arrested earlier this month. The men are each facing 20 charges of animal cruelty, and one charge of cockfighting.
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According to the Nash County Sheriff’s office, the investigation started on Jan. 20, when a deputy trying to serve a warrant noticed a dog, cats and chickens all in poor conditions.
Animal control then stepped in to investigate, finding more than 650 rooters at a home on Logan’s Run Lane near Middlesex. Investigators also seized one dog and four cats.
Court documents say Yanez-Castro and Autrey were “growing and preparing” the roosters for cockfighting, including by 'mutilating’ the birds by "cutting the rooster's comb off."
“I would say this was a large ring,” said Nash County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Allen Wilson.
The Nash County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that authorities removed the roosters from the property in hopes of relocating them to rescue groups. It was not possible due to their aggressive behavior, according to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office said authorities tested a sample of the roosters for disease. Two of them had strains similar to bird flu. According to the sheriff's office, authorities humanely euthanized the roosters.
Authorities have relocated the other animals found on the property, according to the sheriff's office.
According to Wilson, investigators are now looking into possible ties to other cockfighting rings in North Carolina and beyond, and more arrests are possible.
Cockfighting busts have grabbed headlines across the state over the last few years. Just last month, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office announced a series of arrests tied to “one of the largest” cockfighting rings ever discovered in the county. Deputies recovered more than 400 birds, along with a kilo of cocaine.
In 2024, Granville County deputies disrupted a ring with ties up and down the east coast, and possible connections to cartels. Fifteen people were arrested during the operation. Granville County Sheriff Robert Fountain said at the time he had “never seen something on this scale in this county.”
Both Ascencion Yanez-Castro and Marcos Autrey Sr. have been released from jail. Each man posted a $50,000 bond.
According to court documents, neither man had prior charges, other than traffic violations. The documents say Yanez-Castro and Autry were both “cooperative and assisted animal control in housing and feeding these birds during the term of this investigation.”
According to the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, the county’s Animal Services has taken “custody” of the roosters.
WRAL News reached out to Jake Barley, the director of Nash County Animal Services, to ask what has happened, and what will happen to the birds. So far, Barley has not provided an answer.
WRAL News has also reached out to Yanez-Castro and Autrey. So far, neither man has responded to our request.