ELKO, Nev. β A 30-year-old California man has been arrested for suspicion of drug trafficking and charges related to illegal cock fighting after a Nevada state trooper found a dozen caged roosters in the trunk of his car.
Jose R. Ortiz of Salinas was being held in Elko County Jail Thursday on $48,750 bail for seven charges, including conspiracy to conduct fights between animals.
Nevada Highway Patrol Sgt. Alex Perez told the Elko Daily Free Press a trooper detected the smell of marijuana when he pulled Ortiz over for speeding on Interstate 80 about 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Perez says Ortiz turned over less than an ounce of suspected pot. A search of his white Chrysler 300 turned up the roosters along with a dozen razor blades typically used for cock fighting. It's not clear if Ortiz has a lawyer.
