200 animals euthanized, hundreds more held in Animal Services after FBI bust on Va. farm
by Katie BourqueThu, January 29, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Updated Thu, January 29, 2026 at 7:27 PM
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (7News) — A week after an FBI raid of Rancho Los Cerritos Farm in Haymarket, Prince William County has been left to care for hundreds of livestock animals.
On January 22, the FBI Washington Field Office confirmed that they were conducting “court-authorized law enforcement activity” on the 40-acre chicken farm at 4210 James Madison Highway.
The manager of the ranch, Jorge Steve Zepeda Irias, along with Jenifer Icela Romero Fabian, Juan Francisco Enriquez Cerritos Sr., and Jorge Manuel Romero, ran a large-scale illegal firearms and drug trafficking operation in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., from mid-2024 through late 2025, according to court documents.
According to an affidavit sworn by an FBI special agent, the defendants conspired to sell dozens of firearms without a license, including pistols, rifles, AK-47s, AR-15s, and ghost guns, while also trafficking cocaine and fentanyl. Prosecutors say the group sold more than 25 firearms and well over 1.5 kilograms of cocaine.
Court documents say Zepeda allegedly claimed ties to MS-13, stating he had sold over 100 guns to gang members and facilitated drug deals on their behalf.
This Thursday, Lieutenant Jonathan Perok of the Prince William County Police Department disclosed that the Animal Services Bureau has taken custody of several hundred animals from the farm. The animals include a variety of fowl such as chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, as well as pigs, rabbits, goats, and a llama. The bureau is tasked with the care and assessment of these animals, as the farm was abandoned after the FBI sting.
A comprehensive health evaluation found that approximately 200 chickens had to be euthanized due to severe health issues. Some chickens were euthanized due to upper respiratory infections, which posed a risk of spreading to healthy animals, while most were euthanized based on their extremely poor body conditions. It is noted that these chickens were raised for meat, not as pets. The remaining animals appear to be in good health.
The Animal Services Bureau is in contact with legal counsel to either gain ownership of the animals or have them given to an authorized party. The bureau is authorized to hold the animals for 30 days, after which any livestock will become their property by state code.