Outlaw motorcycle gangs, often referred to as “Biker Gangsters,” have been a persistent challenge for law enforcement in the United States since the 1960s. These organizations, operating across both coasts and the heartland, are deeply entrenched in criminal activities. Known as “one-percenter” clubs – a term derived from the American Motorcyclist Association’s statement that 99% of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens – these gangs are notorious for drug trafficking, contract killings, theft, and a range of other offenses.
The mystique and menace of biker gangsters have long captivated popular culture, inspiring films, television shows, and literature. Hunter S. Thompson’s seminal work, Hell’s Angels, exposed the brutal reality of these gangs, while the hit TV series Sons of Anarchy reignited public fascination with this subculture. Alongside the infamous Hells Angels, groups like the Mongols, Pagans, and Bandidos continue to operate actively today, solidifying the biker gangster image in the American underworld.
Recent events underscore the ongoing threat posed by these biker gangster groups. In 2022, high-ranking members of the Pagans faced federal charges for assaulting a perceived Hells Angels affiliate. The Pagans gang was also reported to be expanding into New York City, despite past racketeering convictions of its members. A violent biker brawl in Massachusetts in the same year, involving rival clubs, resulted in multiple injuries, further demonstrating the volatile nature of these organizations. Incidents like the deadly 2015 Waco, Texas gun battle, which involved hundreds of bikers and resulted in fatalities and injuries, serve as stark reminders of the ruthless and enduring presence of biker gangsters.
Despite law enforcement efforts and arrests, biker gangs remain a significant force. Here are some of the most dangerous biker gangster groups currently operating in America:
1. Warlocks Motorcycle Club: The Brutal East Coast Force
Territory: Eastern Seaboard
Approximate membership: 500+
The Warlocks biker gangster group commands a fearsome reputation, so much so that even other outlaw bikers often avoid association. Known for extreme and indiscriminate violence, their history includes assaults on rival gang leaders and the murder of police officers. Florida is their stronghold, with 11 chapters, and their influence extends into Canada, as evidenced by a 2014 drug and gun bust in Alberta involving Warlocks members.
2. Highwaymen Motorcycle Club: Detroit’s Disruptors
Territory: Detroit (Midwest and South chapters)
Approximate membership: 300+
Based in Detroit, the Highwaymen biker gangster club may be smaller than groups like the Outlaws or Hells Angels, but their impact on the Motor City is undeniable. Founded in the 1950s, they have been the target of numerous major investigations. A 2007 operation led to the arrest of 40 members and associates on charges ranging from racketeering to police corruption, with leader Aref “Scarface” Nagi receiving a 37-year sentence.
3. Black Pistons Motorcycle Club: The Outlaws’ Enforcers
Territory: Nationwide
Approximate membership: 400+
The Black Pistons biker gangster group functions as the official “support club” for the Outlaws. These support clubs handle criminal activities deemed too risky or “dirty” even for primary gangs. The Black Pistons are involved in drug distribution and violent crimes across the country, including incidents in Georgia, Michigan, and Illinois, highlighting their role as enforcers in the biker gangster hierarchy.
4. Vagos Motorcycle Club: Southwest Drug Smugglers
Territory: Southwest USA
Approximate membership: 4,000
The Vagos biker gangster organization specializes in drug smuggling across the Mexican border. They were also implicated in the assassination of a Hells Angels member in Nevada in 2011. Notably, the Vagos have a history of confrontation with law enforcement, including accusations of setting booby traps for police, which led to a successful defamation lawsuit against a police department.
5. Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club: Ruthless and Resilient
Territory: Midwest and South
Approximate membership: 250-275
Despite being one of the smaller biker gangster groups, the Colorado-based Sons of Silence are known for their ruthlessness. They have been engaged in turf wars for decades, initially establishing territory in Colorado, Arizona, and Kansas. Their alliance with the Hells Angels for protection made them targets for rival clubs, evidenced by a 1999 clubhouse raid that uncovered machine guns, pipe bombs, and grenades.
6. Pagan’s Motorcycle Club: Mafia and Mayhem Ties
Territory: Eastern Seaboard
Approximate membership: 1,000+
The Pagan’s biker gangster group transformed into a criminal organization under John “Satan” Marron in the late 1960s and 70s. Now considered one of the “Big Four” outlaw motorcycle clubs, they are feared for their connections to the Italian Mafia and the Aryan Brotherhood. The Pagans are involved in large-scale drug production and smuggling, conspiracies, bombings, and weapons trafficking. Past incidents include a 2010 plot to attack Hells Angels with homemade grenades and a 2018 clubhouse raid revealing a rocket launcher.
7. Bandidos Motorcycle Club: Texas-Sized Threat
Territory: The South, especially Texas
Approximate membership: 5,000+
The Bandidos biker gangster club, based in Texas, lives up to the state’s reputation for size. With over 5,000 members globally, they are one of the largest one-percenter clubs. Their primary criminal activity is drug smuggling across the US-Mexico border, and they have been linked to numerous murders. The FBI considers them one of the “Big Four,” a designation reinforced by their involvement in the Waco gun battle.
8. Outlaws Motorcycle Club: The Oldest and Still Powerful
Territory: Eastern and Central U.S.
Approximate membership: 1,700+
Believed to be the world’s oldest outlaw motorcycle club, founded in 1936, the Outlaws biker gangster group has only grown stronger. With over 1,700 members and numerous chapters, they wield significant influence over drug smuggling at the Canadian border and control large portions of the Great Lakes region. Their criminal record includes serious offenses nationwide, and they are considered the Hells Angels’ primary rivals.
9. Mongols Motorcycle Club: Southern California Kings
Territory: Southern California
Approximate membership: 2,000
While not as widespread as the Outlaws or Hells Angels, the Mongols biker gangster group dominates Southern California. Their long-standing ties to local street gangs enabled them to seize control of the region from the Hells Angels in the 1980s, a dominance they maintain. Their rivalry with the Hells Angels stems from the Mongols’ founding by bikers excluded from the Angels due to their race; today, most Mongols members are Hispanic or Native American.
10. Hells Angels Motorcycle Club: The Infamous Originals
Territory: Nationwide (strongest in California)
Approximate membership: 2,500
The Hells Angels biker gangster club is perhaps the most iconic and notorious outlaw motorcycle gang. So well-known, they are legally incorporated in the US and Canada, even engaging in business dealings like copyright lawsuits. However, their core membership of around 2,500 is deeply involved in a wide range of criminal activities, from large-scale drug trafficking to racketeering. Their aggressive nature fuels ongoing feuds with numerous other gangs, including the Mongols and Outlaws. They are the quintessential one-percenter gang for a reason.
11. Avengers Motorcycle Club: Midwest Mayhem Makers
Territory: Midwest
Approximate membership: Unknown
Founded in Michigan in the late 1960s, the Avengers biker gangster club engaged in violent conflicts with the Iron Coffins and Forbidden Wheels clubs in the late 1990s. Their involvement in racketeering, arson, assaults, and attacks on law enforcement drew significant attention, leading the Pagans to reportedly place a hit on their leader.
12. The Breed Motorcycle Club: Northeast Racketeers
Territory: Northeast
Approximate membership: 20 – 60 (fully patched, 2015 est.)
Formed in New Jersey in 1965, The Breed biker gangster club expanded rapidly in the 1980s, becoming a feared force in the Northeast. Now based in Pennsylvania, their members have faced charges for protection rackets, sexual assaults, gang assaults, and methamphetamine production and distribution.
13. Outcast Motorcycle Club: Detroit’s Black One-Percenters
Territory: Detroit-centered, Southern chapters
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Outcast biker gangster club, an all-black one-percenter group, was founded in Detroit in the late 1990s. They have a long-standing feud with the Wheels of Soul Motorcycle Club and have been implicated in multiple murders, including the 2014 shooting of a Wheels of Soul member in Birmingham, alongside drug distribution.
14. Brother Speed Motorcycle Club: Northwest Meth Distributors
Territory: Northwest USA
Approximate membership: 200+
With a memorable name, Brother Speed biker gangster club was formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1969. Their history includes methamphetamine distribution and assaults on rival gangs, and they have been known to confront even larger groups like the Mongols.
15. Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club: Vice Lords Alliance
Territory: Detroit-centered, national chapters
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Phantom Outlaw biker gangster club, formed in Chicago and based in Detroit, is notable for its close ties to the Vice Lords street gang, with some members belonging to both groups. These connections have aided their expansion and helped them maintain a presence in conflicts with rival gangs and clubs.
16. Cossacks Motorcycle Club: Texas Waco Brawl Participants
Territory: Texas
Approximate membership: Unknown
Founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1969, the Cossacks biker gangster club has remained within the state. While not historically associated with drug trafficking or violent crime to the same extent as others, their significant role in the 2015 Waco shootout alongside the Bandidos has marked their place in outlaw biker history.
17. Sons of Satan Motorcycle Club: Pagans’ Support Crew
Territory: Nationwide
Approximate membership: 100+
The Sons of Satan biker gangster club serves as a support club for the Pagans, undertaking criminal activities on their behalf. Given the Pagans’ own criminal involvement, the Sons of Satan’s activities are undoubtedly serious.
18. Devils Disciples Motorcycle Club: Meth and Mayhem – and Dog the Bounty Hunter
Territory: Nationwide
Approximate membership: 1,400+
Originating in California in 1967 and now based in Michigan, the Devils Disciples biker gangster club has a long history of racketeering, drug trafficking, robberies, and assaults. A major blow came in 2006 with meth trade convictions. Interestingly, reality TV star Dog the Bounty Hunter is a former member.
19. Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club: New York Enigma
Territory: New York State
Approximate membership: 100+
True to their name, little is known about the Unknown Bikers biker gangster club except their New York base and multiple clubhouses. Their willingness to confront the Hells Angels, as demonstrated in a 2016 Long Island standoff, suggests a group to be reckoned with.
20. Diablos Motorcycle Club: Racist Drug Traffickers
Territory: Nationwide
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Diablos biker gangster club is identified as a white supremacist group involved in drug trafficking and murder. Racism is a known issue within outlaw biker culture, and the Diablos exemplify this darker aspect. They were involved in a major brawl with the Outlaws in 2019.
21. Thunderguards Motorcycle Club: Mid-Atlantic Force
Territory: Delaware and Mid-Atlantic
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Thunderguards biker gangster club is an all-black club formed in response to racial exclusion in other gangs. Founded in Delaware in the 1960s, they have a strong presence in mid-Atlantic states and have been linked to shootings and cocaine distribution.
22. Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club: Hell’s Angels Expelled
Territory: Nationwide
Approximate membership: Unknown; international chapters
Featured in Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels, the Gypsy Joker biker gangster club originated in San Francisco but was forced out by the Hells Angels. Now headquartered in Oregon, their criminal activities include meth dealing, theft, weapons dealing, and accusations of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and torture.
23. El Forastero Motorcycle Club: Second-Tier Outlaws
Territory: Midwest
Approximate membership: 100
El Forastero biker gangster club, meaning “the foreigner,” is a classic example of a “second-tier” one-percenter gang. While smaller than groups like the Outlaws or Hells Angels, they are still involved in methamphetamine distribution and motorcycle theft. They were formed in Sioux City, Iowa, in the early 1960s.
24. Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club: Officer Killers
Territory: Northeast and Midwest
Approximate membership: Unknown
Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, with chapters across the US, the Iron Horsemen biker gangster club gained notoriety in 1997 when three members beat an off-duty police officer to death in Maryland. They are also involved in drug smuggling, weapons dealing, and shootouts.
25. Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club: Rapid Growth and Iron Fists
Territory: Nationwide
Approximate membership: Unclear; fast-growing
The Sin City Deciples biker gangster club, originally a black motorcycle club formed in Gary, Indiana, in 1966, is now racially diverse and includes many military veterans. They are one of the fastest-growing clubs in America, with members facing charges ranging from kidnapping to gun-running, and are known for harsh internal discipline.
26. Peckerwoods Motorcycle Club: Racist Attackers
Territory: Western USA
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Peckerwoods biker gangster club is another whites-only group included on this list due to racist attacks. Little else needs to be said about this hate group.
27. Iron Order Motorcycle Club: Law Enforcement Outlaws?
Territory: Nationwide
Approximate membership: Unclear
The Iron Order biker gangster club is unique, composed largely of military and law enforcement personnel and claiming to be law-abiding. However, they have been involved in numerous altercations with one-percenter gangs, suggesting they may be on a path towards becoming a traditional outlaw club.
28. Night Wolves: Kremlin-Funded Russian Bikers
Territory: Russia
Approximate membership: 7,000+
Outlaw motorcycle culture extends beyond America. The Night Wolves biker gangster club in Russia receives direct funding from the Kremlin. Formed in 1989, they act as enforcers for Vladimir Putin’s party and adhere to his conservative ideology, including hostility towards the LGBT community.
29. Rebels Motorcycle Club: Australian Criminal Giants
Territory: Australia
Approximate membership: 2,000+
Australia has a significant biker culture, and the Rebels biker gangster club is a dominant force. With thousands of members, they are involved in all levels of crime, including murder, drug distribution, and auto theft.
30. Rock Machine: Canadian Biker War Veterans
Territory: Canada
Approximate membership: 1,000+
Canada experienced intense biker violence between 1994 and 2002 in Quebec. The Hells Angels engaged in a brutal war against Rock Machine biker gangster club, a Montreal-based one-percenter group. The conflict resulted in over 160 deaths and numerous injuries, highlighting the extreme violence associated with biker gang rivalries.
