Outlaw motorcycle gangs have been a persistent challenge for law enforcement in the United States since the 1960s. These organizations, often referred to as “one-percenters,” a term originating from the American Motorcyclist Association’s assertion that 99% of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens, are deeply entrenched in various criminal activities across the nation. From drug trafficking across borders to a spectrum of offenses including contract killings and theft, Biker Gangs remain a significant threat.
The mystique surrounding outlaw bikers has been fueled by popular culture, with portrayals in films, television, and literature. Hunter S. Thompson’s seminal work, Hell’s Angels, offered a raw glimpse into their world, while the television series Sons of Anarchy reignited public fascination with this subculture. Beyond the infamous Hells Angels, groups like the Mongols, Pagans, and Bandidos continue to operate actively, contributing to the ongoing narrative of biker gangs in America.
Recent events underscore the continued presence and activity of these groups. In June 2021, high-ranking members of the Pagans faced federal charges for allegedly assaulting an individual perceived to be associated with the Hells Angels. Further reports in March 2022 indicated the Pagans’ expansion into New York City, despite prior arrests of 20 members on racketeering charges. A violent biker brawl in Massachusetts in May 2022, involving rival clubs, resulted in multiple injuries and served as another stark reminder of their volatile nature. Incidents like the deadly 2015 shootout in Waco, Texas, involving hundreds of bikers and resulting in fatalities and injuries, highlight the ruthless and enduring presence of biker gangs.
Despite law enforcement efforts and arrests, biker gangs persist. This article delves into some of the most dangerous outlaw motorcycle clubs operating in America today, exploring their territories, membership, and notoriety.
Warlocks Motorcycle Club
Territory: Eastern Seaboard
Approximate membership: 500+
The Warlocks Motorcycle Club has cultivated such a fearsome reputation within the outlaw biker community that they are often ostracized even by other one-percenter clubs. Known for extreme and indiscriminate violence, the Warlocks have a history of targeting rival gang leaders and even law enforcement officers. Their primary area of operation is Florida, where they maintain 11 chapters, demonstrating a strong foothold in the state. Their influence extends beyond US borders; in 2014, Canadian authorities apprehended four Warlocks members in Alberta as part of a large-scale drug and weapons seizure, highlighting their international reach in criminal operations.
Highwaymen Motorcycle Club
Territory: Detroit (Midwest and South with scattered chapters)
Approximate membership: 300+
Based in Detroit, the Highwaymen Motorcycle Club, while smaller than groups like the Outlaws or Hells Angels, has significantly impacted crime in the “Motor City.” Established in the 1950s, the club has been the target of numerous extensive investigations. A notable operation in 2007 led to the arrest of 40 members and associates on a range of charges, from racketeering to police corruption, demonstrating the depth of their criminal involvement and influence. The gang’s leader, Aref “Scarface” Nagi, received a substantial 37-year prison sentence, reflecting the severity of their crimes and the legal repercussions faced by high-ranking members of biker gangs.
Black Pistons Motorcycle Club
Territory: United States (Scattered chapters nationwide)
Approximate membership: 400+
The Black Pistons Motorcycle Club operates as a “support club,” a concept prevalent within outlaw biker gangs. These support clubs handle criminal activities deemed too risky or undesirable even for the most notorious “one-percenter” groups. Functioning as the official support club for the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, the Black Pistons are involved in drug trafficking and violent crimes across the country at the behest of their parent club. Their criminal activities span from drug distribution networks in Georgia to violent assaults in Michigan and gruesome acts like dismemberment in Illinois, illustrating the breadth and severity of crimes associated with support biker gangs.
Vagos Motorcycle Club
Territory: Southwest United States
Approximate membership: 4,000
The Vagos Motorcycle Club’s primary criminal enterprise revolves around large-scale drug smuggling operations across the US-Mexico border. Beyond drug trafficking, they have been implicated in violent crimes, including the 2011 assassination of a Hells Angels member in Nevada, highlighting the inter-gang rivalries and violence within the biker gang world. The Vagos have also faced accusations of setting booby traps targeting law enforcement officers in California, leading to a defamation lawsuit against a local police department, which they ultimately won, showcasing the complex legal battles that can involve biker gangs.
Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club
Territory: Midwest and South United States
Approximate membership: 250-275
The Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club, based in Colorado, is among the smaller biker gangs listed, yet they compensate in notoriety with their ruthlessness. They have a long history of engaging in violent turf wars, initially establishing territory in Colorado, Arizona, and Kansas. Seeking protection, they aligned with the Hells Angels, which in turn made them targets for smaller, rival clubs, escalating conflicts and violence. A 1999 raid on a Sons of Silence clubhouse uncovered machine guns, pipe bombs, and grenades, revealing the extent of weaponry and potential for violence associated with even smaller biker gangs.
Pagans Motorcycle Club
Territory: Eastern Seaboard
Approximate membership: 1,000+
Initially formed in the late 1950s, the Pagans Motorcycle Club transitioned into a criminal organization under the leadership of John “Satan” Marron in the late 1960s and 70s. Today, they are recognized as one of the “Big Four” outlaw motorcycle clubs in America, feared for their alleged connections to the Italian Mafia and the Aryan Brotherhood, indicating a network of criminal alliances beyond biker gangs. The Pagans are accused of large-scale drug production and smuggling, and have been linked to conspiracies, bombings, and illegal weapons trafficking. In 2010, 19 members were arrested in New York for plotting to murder Hells Angels using homemade grenades, and a 2018 raid on a Rhode Island clubhouse uncovered a stockpile of illegal weapons, including a rocket launcher, demonstrating the significant firepower and violent intentions of the Pagans.
Bandidos Motorcycle Club
Territory: Southern United States (Concentrated in Texas)
Approximate membership: 5,000+
Reflecting the adage “everything’s bigger in Texas,” the Bandidos Motorcycle Club is one of the largest one-percenter clubs globally, with over 5,000 members worldwide. Based in San Leon, Texas, their primary criminal activity is drug smuggling across the US-Mexico border, capitalizing on their strategic location. Bandidos members have been implicated in numerous murders, solidifying their reputation for violence. The FBI recognizes them as one of the “Big Four” outlaw motorcycle clubs, a designation reinforced by their significant involvement in the Waco gun battle, a landmark event of biker gang violence in recent history.
Outlaws Motorcycle Club
Territory: Eastern and Central United States
Approximate membership: 1,700+
Established in 1935, the Outlaws Motorcycle Club is considered the oldest outlaw motorcycle club globally, and has grown in power and influence over decades. With over 1,700 members across hundreds of chapters, the Outlaws wield considerable control over drug smuggling at the Canadian border and dominate large parts of the Great Lakes region. Their extensive criminal record includes serious offenses across the nation. They are known as the Hells Angels’ primary and most formidable rivals, fueling ongoing conflicts and tensions between these dominant biker gangs.
Mongols Motorcycle Club
Territory: Southern California
Approximate membership: 2,000+
While the Mongols Motorcycle Club may not have the nationwide reach of the Outlaws or Hells Angels, they are equally feared within their territory of Southern California. Through long-established connections with local street gangs, the Mongols seized control of Southern California from the Hells Angels in the 1980s and have maintained dominance since. The rivalry with the Hells Angels is deeply rooted, originating from the Mongols’ formation by bikers who were allegedly denied Hells Angels membership due to their race. Today, the Mongols’ membership is predominantly Hispanic and Native American, reflecting a distinct demographic within the biker gang landscape.
Hells Angels Motorcycle Club
Territory: Nationwide (Strongest presence in California)
Approximate membership: 2,500+
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is arguably the most iconic and recognized outlaw motorcycle gang globally. Their notoriety is such that they are legally incorporated in both the U.S. and Canada, engaging in legitimate business ventures, including trademark protection and lawsuits against entities like movie studios for copyright infringement, as seen with the film Wild Hogs. Beyond legal fronts, the estimated 2,500 core members are involved in a wide array of criminal activities, from large-scale drug trafficking to racketeering. Their aggressive nature has led to protracted feuds with numerous other biker gangs, including the Mongols in Southern California and the Outlaws along the Canadian border, solidifying their position as the quintessential one-percenter biker gang.
Avengers Motorcycle Club
Territory: Midwest United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
Founded in Michigan in the late 1960s, the Avengers Motorcycle Club became embroiled in conflict with the Iron Coffins and Forbidden Wheels clubs in the late 1990s, demonstrating the volatile inter-gang dynamics of biker culture. With members involved in racketeering, arson, assaults, and even attacks on West Virginia State Troopers, the Avengers garnered significant attention, even attracting the ire of the Pagans, who reportedly placed a bounty on the Avengers’ leader, highlighting the hierarchical and sometimes violent relationships between different biker gangs.
The Breed Motorcycle Club
Territory: Northeast United States
Approximate membership: 20 – 60 (fully patched members as of 2015)
The Breed Motorcycle Club, established in New Jersey in 1965, experienced rapid growth in the 1980s, briefly becoming one of the most feared one-percenter clubs in the northeastern region. Currently headquartered in Pennsylvania, its members have faced arrests and charges related to protection rackets, sexual assaults, gang assaults, and the production and distribution of methamphetamine, indicating a diverse range of criminal activities and a decline from their peak influence.
Outcast Motorcycle Club
Territory: Centered in Detroit with chapters in the Southern United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Outcast Motorcycle Club, an all-black one-percenter club, was founded in Detroit in the late 1990s and has been engaged in a long-standing rivalry with the Wheels of Soul Motorcycle Club, illustrating the complex racial and territorial dynamics within biker gang culture. Its members have been linked to multiple murders, including the 2014 shooting of a Wheels of Soul member in Birmingham, and are also involved in drug distribution, highlighting the deadly consequences of biker gang feuds and criminal enterprises.
Brother Speed Motorcycle Club
Territory: Northwest United States
Approximate membership: 200+
The Brother Speed Motorcycle Club, founded in Boise, Idaho, in 1969, boasts a fitting name and a long history of involvement in methamphetamine distribution and assaults against rival gangs. Notably, they have been known to confront larger, more established clubs like the Mongols, demonstrating a willingness to engage in conflict regardless of the opponent’s size or reputation within the biker gang hierarchy.
Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club
Territory: Centered in Detroit with chapters across the United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club, formed in Chicago and based in Detroit, is distinguished by its close ties to the Vice Lords street gang, with some individuals holding membership in both groups. These connections have facilitated the Phantom Outlaws’ expansion across America and enabled them to compete in violent confrontations with rival gangs and motorcycle clubs, showcasing the intersection of street gang and biker gang criminal networks.
Cossacks Motorcycle Club
Territory: Texas
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Cossacks Motorcycle Club, established in Tyler, Texas, in 1969, has remained largely confined to the state. Unlike many other clubs on this list, the Cossacks do not have an extensive history of drug trafficking or violent crime. However, their significant participation alongside the Bandidos in the 2015 Waco shootout earned them notoriety and a place in biker gang infamy, demonstrating how a single event can drastically alter a gang’s public image.
Sons of Satan Motorcycle Club
Territory: Scattered across the United States
Approximate membership: 100+
The Sons of Satan Motorcycle Club serves as a support club for the Pagans, undertaking criminal tasks on behalf of the larger, more established gang. Given the Pagans’ own extensive criminal activities, the Sons of Satan’s involvement in illicit operations is implied and understood within the context of biker gang support structures.
Devils Disciples Motorcycle Club
Territory: Scattered across the United States
Approximate membership: 1,400+
Originating in California in 1967, the Devils Disciples Motorcycle Club has a decades-long history of involvement in racketeering, drug trafficking, robberies, and assaults. Currently headquartered in Michigan, the club suffered a significant setback in 2006 when members were convicted for their roles in methamphetamine trafficking, impacting their operations and leadership. Interestingly, Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman is a former member of the Devils Disciples, a unique connection between biker gang culture and popular media.
Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club
Territory: Focused in New York State
Approximate membership: 100+
True to their name, information about the Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club is limited, except for their New York state base and multiple clubhouses within the state. Their willingness to confront the Hells Angels, as demonstrated in a 2016 incident where approximately one hundred members surrounded a Hells Angels clubhouse in Long Island over patch disputes, suggests a level of audacity and potential for violence that belies their low profile.
Diablos Motorcycle Club
Territory: Scattered across the United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Diablos Motorcycle Club is characterized not only by drug trafficking and violence but also by its overt white supremacist ideology, highlighting the presence of racism within outlaw biker culture. Their involvement in a large brawl with the Outlaws in May 2019, resulting in injuries, underscores their continued engagement in inter-gang violence and their problematic association with hate groups.
Thunderguards Motorcycle Club
Territory: Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Thunderguards Motorcycle Club is one of several all-black clubs formed in response to the racially exclusive membership policies of other biker gangs. Established in Delaware in the 1960s, this one-percenter gang maintains a strong presence in mid-Atlantic states such as South Carolina and Georgia. Members have been linked to various crimes, including shootings and cocaine distribution, demonstrating their involvement in serious criminal activities within their operating region.
Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club
Territory: Scattered across the United States (Chapters in at least five countries)
Approximate membership: Unknown
Featured prominently in Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels, the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club originated in San Francisco but was later displaced by the Hells Angels. Currently headquartered in Oregon, their criminal enterprises include methamphetamine distribution, theft, and weapons trafficking. Members have also been accused of serious offenses such as murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and torture, solidifying their reputation as a particularly dangerous and ruthless biker gang.
El Forastero Motorcycle Club
Territory: Midwest United States
Approximate membership: 100
El Forastero Motorcycle Club, meaning “the foreigner” in Spanish, exemplifies a “second-tier” one-percenter gang. While lacking the extensive reach of clubs like the Outlaws or Hells Angels, its members are actively involved in methamphetamine distribution and motorcycle theft. Formed in Sioux City, Iowa, in the early 1960s, El Forastero represents the numerous smaller, yet still dangerous, biker gangs operating within the larger outlaw motorcycle club landscape.
Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club
Territory: Northeast and Midwest United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, with chapters across the United States, the Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club gained notoriety in 1997 when three members beat an off-duty police officer to death in Maryland. The gang has also been linked to drug smuggling, weapons dealing, and shootouts across the Northeast and Midwest, indicating a pattern of violent crime and interstate criminal operations.
Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club
Territory: Scattered across the United States
Approximate membership: Unknown (One of the fastest-growing clubs in America)
The Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club was initially formed as a black motorcycle club in Gary, Indiana, in 1966, but now includes members of all races, with a significant number being military veterans. As one of the fastest-growing clubs in America, the Sin City Deciples have expanded rapidly across the United States. Members have been charged with a range of serious crimes, from kidnapping to gun-running, and are known for their harsh internal discipline and violent responses to perceived transgressions.
Peckerwoods Motorcycle Club
Territory: Western United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Peckerwoods Motorcycle Club is another whites-only club included on this list due to their documented history of racist attacks, highlighting the issue of racially motivated violence within certain segments of biker gang culture. Information about this group is intentionally limited to avoid amplifying their hateful ideology.
Iron Order Motorcycle Club
Territory: Scattered across the United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Iron Order Motorcycle Club is a unique entry, primarily composed of military and law enforcement personnel, and claims to be a law-abiding club. However, they have been involved in numerous conflicts with one-percenter gangs in recent years. Their increasing confrontations with established outlaw clubs suggest a potential trajectory towards becoming recognized as an outlaw club themselves, blurring the lines between law enforcement affiliations and biker gang culture.
Night Wolves Motorcycle Club
Territory: Russia
Approximate membership: 7,000+
While outlaw motorcycle culture is rooted in America, dangerous clubs exist globally. The Night Wolves are a Russian club receiving direct funding from the Kremlin, demonstrating a unique intersection of biker gangs and state power. Formed in 1989, the group acts as enforcers for Vladimir Putin’s ruling party and adheres to his conservative social and political values, including hostility towards the LGBT community, illustrating the diverse ideological influences within international biker gang movements.
Rebels Motorcycle Club
Territory: Australia
Approximate membership: 2,000+
Australia has a substantial biker culture, with many American clubs having chapters there. However, the Rebels Motorcycle Club is a dominant force, boasting thousands of members involved in various levels of crime, including murder, drug distribution, and auto theft, establishing them as a major criminal organization within Australia’s biker gang landscape.
Rock Machine Motorcycle Club
Territory: Canada
Approximate membership: 1,000+
Between 1994 and 2002, the Canadian province of Quebec was the epicenter of extreme biker gang violence. During this period, the Hells Angels engaged in a brutal and bloody war against Rock Machine, a Montreal-based one-percenter club. The conflict resulted in over 160 deaths, including innocent bystanders, and numerous injuries, representing one of the most violent and sustained biker gang wars in history, highlighting the extreme consequences of inter-gang rivalry and territorial disputes.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not endorse or glorify biker gangs or their criminal activities. It is based on publicly available information and news reports.
