The head of the Anti Money Laundering Prosecution Unit, German Miranda Villalona, has warned that drug dealing is now penetrating the cockfighting world and has told the businessmen engaged in this activity to ensure that their businesses are not involved in money laundering.
He said that he was issuing the warning as he currently has seven cases involving major drug dealers with links to cock fighting.
The cases he mentioned involved Jose Calderon Rijo, alias “La Arana” in Bani, Raymundo Antonio Pena, who is linked to a money laundering and drug dealing network made up of Dominicans, Colombians and Venezuelans led by brothers Huber Oswaldo Buitago Ruiz and Angel Maria Buitrago Vacca, as well as other cases in Santiago and the eastern region of the country.
Winston Rizik Rodriguez (alias El Gallero) was active in several cockfighting rings, and Miranda Villalona said that he would soon begin the process of selling off the livestock that was confiscated from him, including 700 cockerels and a farm.
Vilallona said that he expected to meet with the family and lawyers this week and that the money from the sale would be put into the Public Prosecution bank account until the judicial process was completed. He said that he had also identified other properties belonging to the accused that would be sold if necessary.
Procuraduría alerta narcotráfico ha penetrado en las galleras