Numerous suspects were arrested in a series of raids in southwest Miami-Dade, targeting a fuel theft ring, which uncovered a marijuana grow house and cockfighting ring.
Search warrants were executed at three separate locations this week, authorities said.
On Friday, one by one, those suspects appeared in bond court; seven men and two women. All are accused of taking part in a massive crime operation.
An eight-month investigation led detectives to Yunier Aguilas. They said he installed illegal credit card scanning devices, also known as "skimmers," at several gas stations in Dade and Broward.
The skimmers allegedly stored more than 500 stolen credit card numbers. Aguilas, along with others in the alleged crime ring, also stole gas to resell at a lower price.
Besides the fuel theft ring, investigators found a marijuana grow house, "The total weight of the marijuana found in the residence was 30 pounds. That is trafficking weight," the judge said during Friday's hearing.
Officers said they found 25 marijuana plants with a street value of more than $100,000 and then a cockfighting ring. SWAT teams surrounded the home, finding more than 100 roosters in cages.
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"The three we did take obviously need immediate attention. That's why those were taken. As far as the rest of the animals, that has yet to be determined," said Sean Gallagher with Animal Services.
All of the defendants are now in jail with high bonds. If they do bond out, they'll be on house arrest and have a GPS monitor, pending their trials.
