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2mo ago

USA TODAY Links Edwin Díaz and Top Jockeys to Puerto Rico Cockfighting as Calls for Action Grow

Animal-rights groups are urging league investigations under the federal cockfighting ban.

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Two birds inside plastic cages face each other moments before a cockfighting night at the Caimito cockfighting club the day the federal Farm Bill took effect in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Dec. 20, 2019. Puerto Rico defied the U.S. 2018 Farm Bill cockfighting ban in a bid to protect the 400-year-old tradition practiced across the island.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) delivers to the plate as he earns a save in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on March 27, 2026, in Los Angeles.
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Overview

  • USA TODAY published an investigation Friday tying Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz and jockeys Jose and Irad Ortiz Jr. to cockfighting in Puerto Rico through photos, videos and promotional posts.
  • USA TODAY later reviewed a Facebook account bearing Díaz’s full name that showed years of rooster photos and cockfight videos, and some of that content was then restricted from public view.
  • Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming stewards met with the Ortiz brothers and, after a review, said they would take no administrative action.
  • Advocacy groups pressed for investigations and suspensions, while MLB declined comment, the Dodgers did not respond publicly, and no charges have been announced.
  • Cockfighting has been illegal in all U.S. territories since 2019 with penalties that can reach five years in prison, yet it persists in Puerto Rico where it has deep cultural roots.