Dubious Travel: Clandestine Cockfights in New Mexico

By Jaunted

When we saw the headline "A Ban on Cockfighting, but Tradition Lives On," we figured The New York Times was going to rehash its story earlier this year about cockfighting in the Dominican Republic. But it turns out the paper is simply fascinated by the subject: The latest story is all about pugnacious poultry in New Mexico.

Though the sport is technically illegal in the state, light penalties have done little to stop bouts. Law enforcement officers complain that investigating cockfights--which are punished as misdemeanors--diverts attention from more serious crimes plaguing New Mexico like drunk driving and amphetamine use.

Still, the increase police attention has fight enthusiasts, ahem, on the ropes