Outlaw or "one-percent" motorcycle gangs happen to be a scourge to the federal government since the 1960s. To this day, you will find formidable motorcycle clubs (MCs) on both coasts, and one-percenters run drugs across the Canadian and Mexican border. Though Americans have extended mythologized biker culture with the assistance of books like Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels and television shows like Sons of Anarchy, outlaw motorcycle clubs continue to play a really true roll in American organized crime.

1. Mongols. The Southern California-centered Mongols Motorcycle Club has earned a reputation for violence due to the fact taking Los Angeles location turf from the Hells Angels, according to the Justice Department. “A majority of the Mongols membership consists of Hispanic males who reside inside the Los Angeles location, and many are former street gang members having a lengthy history of working with violence to settle grievances,” in line with the report. The Mongols have allied themselves with the Bandidos, Outlaws, Sons of Silence and also the Pagans to compete for territory and members using the Hells Angels, the report says. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says it considers the Mongols probably the most violent motorcycle club.

2. Cossacks. The Twin Peaks restaurant was the scene of a motorcyle gang shootout that left nine dead. The Cossacks gang was amongst as a lot of as 5 gangs involved. Even though less is known about the Cossacks, among the list of groups connected with Sunday's violence in Waco, they have a history with the Bandidos dating to at the very least 2013. On Nov. 2, 2013, a fight broke out among the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle clubs outside Logan’s Roadhouse in Abilene. 5 men were injured. A grand jury later indicted two guys on suspicion of assault. 1 of them was the leader with the Bandidos.

3. Free Souls. This particular motorcycle gang was began inside the state of Oregon inside the late 1960’s. Their patch consists of an ankh, an ancient Egyptian symbol inside the shape of a cross, in the center of a motorcycle rim and tire. All of their chapters, with all the exception of a single in Vancouver, Canada, are situated inside the state of Oregon. On May perhaps two, 2007, three members of the Free Souls Motorcycle Club have been arrested and charged with several crimes. Amongst the proof were illegal drugs, weapons and stolen motorcycles all of which have been seized as part of the investigation and arrests.

4. Hell’s Angels. Whenever you think of outlaw motorcycle clubs, you in all probability feel with the Hells Angels. The Hells Angels brand is so powerful that they have essentially come to be a small business: The Hells Angels are incorporated within the U.S. and Canada. This corporation does factors like sue the film Wild Hogs for copyright infringement. The name recognition from the Hells Angels aids them drive recruitment; at last count the MC had 2,500 members across six continents. Offered their swelling ranks, Hells Angels are generally embroiled in turf wars. The battle together with the Mongols for handle of California along with the Outlaws for Canadian influence are just two of their various battles with rival MCs. In some cases the Hells Angels even turn to infighting amongst themselves. In 1985, 1 Canadian chapter decided that another wasn't match to wear the gang's colors plus the unfit gang members were located floating within the St. Lawrence River.

Over the years, as certain clubs pagans biker gang started to drift toward illegal activity, they claimed the moniker "1 percenter" as a badge of honor. Even today, most of these "outlaw motorcycle gangs" maintain that they aren't criminal organizations. For instance, renowned Hells Angels founder "Sonny" Barger claims that when some Angels may deal drugs or commit acts of violence, the organization itself does not endorse those activities. Nevertheless, law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada to even Australia and Europe see the OMGs as a serious threat. The FBI considers the gangs organized crime syndicates whose drug dealing and turf wars place rival gangs and the public in danger.