Amid an ongoing federal crackdown on animal fighting across U.S. territories, Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Edwin Diaz and Kentucky Derby-winning jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. are facing intense scrutiny after an investigative report explicitly tied them to illegal cockfighting events in Puerto Rico.
The United States government instituted a comprehensive ban on cockfighting across all 50 states and territories in 2019. Puerto Rico attempted to challenge the federal ban, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit firmly upheld the prohibition in 2021. According to a May 14 investigative report by USA Today, the Ortiz brothers were photographed standing inside a Puerto Rican cockfighting pit holding roosters. Their names were also used in promotional advertisements for a tournament billed as the “Gran Campeón Caribeño.”
Diaz, who is currently sidelined by an elbow injury, was pictured in his Los Angeles Dodgers uniform on promotional flyers for a special match titled “A Tribute to the Puerto Rican Star and Cockfighter Edwin ‘Sugar’ Díaz.”
Defending the activity to the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día, Diaz stated, “It’s a pastime I’ve followed since I was a child. It’s legal in Puerto Rico, thank God. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”
Contrary to his reported statements, the activity is a federal felony under the Animal Welfare Act. Participating in an animal fighting venture carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, while attending as a spectator carries a maximum penalty of one year. The situation creates a precarious reality for Diaz and Major League Baseball, which previously avoided suspending Pedro Martinez for a similar 2008 incident specifically because the sport was legal in the Dominican Republic at the time.
Controversy surrounding the Ortiz brothers has been brewing since November 2025. A video surfaced on social media appearing to show the jockeys collecting cash bets at Club Gallistico de Naguabo, a Puerto Rican cockfighting venue. Racing authorities took no public action at the time, allowing the brothers to compete and sweep the top two spots at the 2026 Kentucky Derby despite severe industry backlash.
Following the release of the USA Today photographs, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy immediately issued formal letters to the Department of Justice and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. The organizations are demanding the immediate suspension of the Ortiz brothers ahead of their scheduled appearances at the Preakness Stakes weekend.