37 Arrested in Hampton County for Cockfighting

Thirty-seven people have been arrested in Hampton County, charged with cockfighting.

The incident happened in the Early Branch area. Most of the suspects are from the Lowcountry, but others are from as far away as Texas and Mexico.

Several agencies participated in the operation, including the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Department of Natural Resources.

From Hampton County Sheriff’s Office:
A $500 cash bond was set by Judge Algie Solomons on each of the suspects. This was a first offense cockfighting, which is a misdemeanor offense which could result in a fine of $1,000. Several of the suspects have been released although the exact number is not known at this time. None of the suspects had lawyers, according to the sheriff.

“Cockfighting is an activity that is mostly found in rural areas although some larger areas also see the problem,“ Hampton County Sheriff T.C. Smalls said. “Cockfighting is an ongoing operation that predominately moves from place to place and county to county. We have zero tolerance for any illegal activity in Hampton County, including cockfighting.“

The incident remains under investigation by the Hampton County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force. “I would like to thank all of the participating agencies that made this operation successful,“ Smalls said. “We will continue to eliminate illegal activity in Hampton County.

Those charged with cockfighting include:
Romero Humberto, 47, of Hilton Head
Abel Hernandez, 34, of Early Branch
Jaime Sanchez, 27, Ridgeland
Rodulfo Lopez, 44, of Hilton Head
Edgar Rodrigues , 23, of Hilton Head
Ricardo Navarete, 30, of Ridgeland
Hugo Yanez, 32, of Hardeeville
Omar Tobar, 29, of Hardeeville
Mendez Cornejo, 22, of Mexico
Daniel Ebri of Hilton Head
Pedro Sanchez of Hardeeville
Ricardo Gonzalez of Hilton Head
Hector Lopez, 36, of Hilton Head
Antonio Guebara, 56, of Hardeeville
Garsia Mauro Sanchez, 34, of Hardeeville
Jose Charre, 33, of Swansea
Juvenal Corejo Flores, 40, of Hilton Head
Angel Ramirez Parra, 27, of Beaufort
Antonio Barrera Trejo, 35, of Hilton Head
Hector Manuel Ibargue, 26, of Hardeeville
Lucio Oriel Tello-Perez, 31, of Southern Pines, N.C.
Javier Cornejo, 34, of Hilton Head
Jose Joel Cornejo, 44, of Carollton, Ga.
Francisco Montalvo Moreno, 21, of Columbia, S.C.
Oscar Rangel Musico, 28, of Batesburg, S.C.
Alfredo Ortiz, 27, of Mexico
Juan Garcia, 32, of Hilton Head
Joel Cornejo, 24, of Mexico
Hugo Musico, 31, of Aiken
Salvador Juarez Sanchez, 36, of Mexico
Pedro Antonio Garcia, 19, of Texas
Enrique Camacho Garcia, 37, of North Carolina
Douglas Eugene Shipes, 25, of Hardeeville
Ector Sanchez, 30, of Bluffton
Maria Ortiz, 20, of Ridge Spring, S.C.
Ricardo Comacho, 32, of Bluffton
Bartolome Martinez, 17, of Hilton Head