Colombian authorities uncover clandestine dogfighting venue in La Calera, say it was tied to an international illegal betting circuit

In a joint operation led by the Prosecutor General’s Office through GELMA and supported by the National Police’s Carabineros, investigators raided a rural property in La Calera (Cundinamarca), rescued multiple dogs and detained suspects, while tracing the event to cross-border networks linked to illegal wagering.

Colombian authorities, working with the National Police’s Carabineros and coordinating with the Prosecutor General’s Office (Fiscalía) through the Special Group for the Fight Against Animal Abuse (GELMA), have dismantled a clandestine dogfighting operation in the municipality of La Calera near Bogotá. Investigators said the fights were not an isolated local activity, but part of an international circuit of illegal betting.

According to reporting based on the Fiscalía’s findings, the raid took place in the rural area of Aurora Alta, where authorities found a makeshift fighting setup and evidence of prolonged abuse. Multiple animals were recovered in critical condition and investigators also documented indications that the event was organized as a “convention” promoted through closed channels and social media, with an illegal wagering system operating around it.

The case is being handled within the GELMA framework, reflecting how Colombia has been treating severe animal abuse cases as organized criminal activity when there is evidence of coordination, financing, and repeat events. Media coverage notes that arrests included both Colombian and foreign nationals, reinforcing the “transnational” angle highlighted by investigators.

Beyond the cruelty itself, the gambling component is what makes the case particularly significant for regulators: illegal betting networks often rely on encrypted groups, informal payments and cross-border coordination to avoid oversight. The La Calera operation shows enforcement is increasingly targeting not only the act of animal fighting, but also the illegal wagering infrastructure that monetizes it.