Outlaw motorcycle gangs, often referred to as “Gang Bikers,” have carved a notorious path through the landscape of American crime since the 1960s. These organizations, operating on both coasts and deep within the heartland, are far from mere motorcycle enthusiasts. They are deeply entrenched in a wide spectrum of criminal activities, posing a persistent challenge to law enforcement. Distinguished by the “one-percenter” label – a defiant response to the American Motorcyclist Association’s claim that 99 percent of riders are law-abiding citizens – these gang bikers are synonymous with drug trafficking, contract killings, and a host of other felonies, casting a long shadow over communities nationwide.
The allure and danger of outlaw biker gangs have long captivated popular culture, fueling their mythologization across film, television, and literature. Hunter S. Thompson’s seminal work, Hell’s Angels, offered a stark and unflinching look into their ruthless world, while the acclaimed TV 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, their names echoing through news reports of violence and criminal enterprise.
Recent incidents underscore the ongoing threat posed by these gang bikers. In a stark reminder of their violent tendencies, high-ranking Pagans members faced federal charges for allegedly assaulting an individual suspected of Hells Angels affiliation. Further fueling concerns, reports in March 2022 indicated the Pagans’ expansion into New York City, despite a history of racketeering convictions within their ranks. A violent biker brawl in Massachusetts in May 2022, leaving seven injured, served as another stark illustration of their propensity for conflict, often erupting at their fortified clubhouses. The infamous 2015 Waco, Texas gun battle, a chaotic scene involving hundreds of bikers that resulted in nine fatalities and numerous injuries, remains a chilling testament to their brutality and enduring presence.
Despite law enforcement efforts and periodic crackdowns, gang bikers demonstrate a remarkable resilience. They adapt, regroup, and persist. The following list delves into some of the most dangerous outlaw motorcycle clubs active in America today, offering a glimpse into their territories, membership, and criminal activities.
Warlocks
Territory: Eastern Seaboard
Approximate membership: 500+
The Warlocks biker gang has cultivated a reputation so menacing that even within the outlaw biker subculture, many groups shun association with them. Their history is marred by extreme and indiscriminate violence, including targeted assaults on rival gang leaders and the shocking killings of police officers. Florida serves as the Warlocks’ primary stronghold, boasting 11 chapters. Their influence extends beyond US borders; in 2014, four members were apprehended in Alberta, Canada, during a major drug and firearms bust, highlighting their transnational criminal reach.
The Highwaymen
Territory: Detroit (with chapters in the Midwest and South)
Approximate membership: 300+
While smaller in membership compared to behemoths like the Outlaws and Hells Angels, the Detroit-based Highwaymen biker gang is far from insignificant. They have a long and turbulent history of disrupting peace in the “Motor City.” Founded in the 1950s, the Highwaymen have been the target of numerous large-scale law enforcement investigations. A significant operation in 2007 led to the arrest of 40 members and associates on charges spanning racketeering to police corruption, demonstrating the depth of their criminal entanglements. The gang’s leader, Aref “Scarface” Nagi, received a lengthy 37-year prison sentence, a testament to the severity of their crimes.
Black Pistons Motorcycle Club
Territory: Nationwide, United States
Approximate membership: 400+
Within the hierarchy of outlaw biker gangs, “support clubs” occupy a grim niche. These are smaller, often more discreet groups that undertake criminal tasks deemed too risky or “dirty” even for the most hardened main clubs. The Black Pistons Motorcycle Club serves as the official support club for the Outlaws, one of the “Big Four.” Black Pistons members have been implicated in crimes spanning the nation, from drug distribution networks in Georgia to brutal assaults in Michigan and even a gruesome dismemberment case in Illinois, underscoring their willingness to engage in extreme violence on behalf of their parent club.
Vagos Motorcycle Club
Territory: Southwest, United States
Approximate membership: 4,000
The Vagos Motorcycle Club, boasting a substantial membership of around 4,000, is primarily focused on orchestrating drug smuggling operations across the US-Mexico border. However, their criminal activities extend beyond narcotics. They were linked to the assassination of a Hells Angels member in Nevada in 2011, highlighting the violent rivalries that permeate the biker gang world. Adding to their notoriety, the Vagos were accused of setting booby traps targeting law enforcement officers in California. This accusation led to a defamation lawsuit against a local police department, which the Vagos ultimately won, showcasing a surprising level of legal assertiveness amidst their criminal operations.
The Sons of Silence
Territory: Midwest and South, United States
Approximate membership: 250-275
The Sons of Silence, a Colorado-based biker gang, is among the smaller groups on this list, but they compensate for numbers with a reputation for extreme ruthlessness. They have been engaged in territorial disputes for decades, initially establishing a presence in Colorado, Arizona, and Kansas. Seeking protection, they later aligned with the Hells Angels, a move that ironically made them targets for smaller rival clubs. A 1999 raid on a Sons of Silence clubhouse uncovered a cache of heavy weaponry, including machine guns, pipe bombs, and grenades, revealing the extent to which they are prepared for violent confrontations.
The Pagan’s
Territory: Eastern Seaboard, United States
Approximate membership: 1,000+
Initially formed in the late 1950s, the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club transitioned into a criminal organization under the leadership of John “Satan” Marron in the late 1960s and 70s. Today, they are considered one of the “Big Four” outlaw motorcycle clubs in America, inspiring fear due to their alleged connections to the Italian Mafia and the Aryan Brotherhood. The Pagans are accused of large-scale drug production and smuggling and have been linked to numerous conspiracies, bombings, and illegal weapons transactions. 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 revealed a stockpile of illegal weapons, including a rocket launcher, highlighting their capacity for extreme violence and sophisticated criminal planning.
Bandidos Motorcycle Club
Territory: The South, especially Texas, United States
Approximate membership: 5,000+
Embracing the Texan ethos of “bigger is better,” the Bandidos Motorcycle Club is one of the largest “one-percenter” gangs in the United States, with a global membership exceeding 5,000. Based in San Leon, Texas, their primary criminal enterprise is drug smuggling across the US-Mexico border. Bandidos members have been implicated in multiple murders and are considered by the FBI to be one of the “Big Four” outlaw motorcycle clubs, a designation solidified by their significant involvement in the deadly Waco gun battle.
Outlaws Motorcycle Club
Territory: Eastern and Central U.S., United States
Approximate membership: 1,700+
Believed to be the oldest outlaw motorcycle club globally, founded in 1936, the Outlaws Motorcycle Club has only grown in strength and reach over time. With over 1,700 members distributed across hundreds of chapters, the Outlaws wield considerable influence over drug smuggling at the Canadian border and control significant territories throughout the Great Lakes region. Their extensive criminal record includes serious felonies across the nation. They are considered the Hells Angels’ most formidable and enduring rivals, engaging in frequent and violent clashes.
The Mongols
Territory: Southern California, United States
Approximate membership: 2,000+
While the Mongols Motorcycle Club may not possess the nationwide reach of the Outlaws or Hells Angels, they reign supreme in Southern California, where they are as feared as any other gang biker group. Leveraging long-established connections to local street gangs, the Mongols seized control of Southern California territory from the Hells Angels in the 1980s and have maintained their dominance ever since. The deep-seated animosity between the Mongols and Hells Angels stretches back decades, reportedly stemming from the Hells Angels’ discriminatory membership practices, which led to the Mongols’ formation by bikers excluded due to their race. Today, the Mongols’ membership predominantly comprises Hispanic and Native American individuals.
Hells Angels
Territory: Nationwide, United States (strongest in California)
Approximate membership: 2,500+
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is arguably the most iconic and recognizable outlaw biker gang in the world. Their notoriety is so widespread that they are formally incorporated in both the U.S. and Canada, engaging in legitimate business activities, including pursuing copyright infringement lawsuits against films like Wild Hogs. However, their legitimate ventures are overshadowed by the extensive criminal activities of their estimated 2,500 core members. The Hells Angels are involved in virtually every form of criminal enterprise, from large-scale drug trafficking to racketeering. Their aggressive and territorial nature has resulted in long-standing and violent 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” gang biker group.
Avengers Motorcycle Club
Territory: Midwest, United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
Founded in Michigan in the late 1960s, the Avengers Motorcycle Club engaged in violent conflicts with the Iron Coffins and Forbidden Wheels clubs in the late 1990s. Their members’ involvement in racketeering, arson, assaults, and even attacks on West Virginia State Troopers drew significant negative attention. This notoriety led to the Pagans allegedly placing a bounty on the Avengers’ leader’s head, highlighting the dangerous and volatile nature of inter-gang rivalries.
The Breed
Territory: Northeast, United States
Approximate membership: 20 – 60 (fully patched, as of 2015)
The Breed Motorcycle Club, established in New Jersey in 1965, experienced rapid expansion in the 1980s, becoming one of the most feared “one-percenter” clubs in the Northeast. Now 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, illustrating a diverse range of criminal activities.
Outcast Motorcycle Club
Territory: Centered in Detroit, with chapters in the South, United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Outcast Motorcycle Club, an all-black “one-percenter” gang, was founded in Detroit in the late 1990s. They have been engaged in a protracted and violent feud with the Wheels of Soul Motorcycle Club. Outcast members have been implicated in multiple murders, including the 2014 shooting of a Wheels of Soul member in Birmingham, and are also involved in drug distribution, showcasing the intersection of racial identity and outlaw biker culture.
Brother Speed Motorcycle Club
Territory: Northwest, United States
Approximate membership: 200+
The Brother Speed Motorcycle Club, founded in Boise, Idaho, in 1969, boasts a fittingly evocative name. Their members have a long history of methamphetamine distribution and violent assaults against rival gangs. Notably, Brother Speed is known to engage in confrontations even with larger, more established gangs like the Mongols, indicating a level of audacity and willingness to challenge the biker gang hierarchy.
Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club
Territory: Centered in Detroit, with chapters nationwide, United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club, formed in Chicago but based in Detroit, is distinguished by its close ties to the Vice Lords street gang. Some individuals are reportedly members of both organizations, blurring the lines between street gangs and outlaw biker gangs. These connections have facilitated the Phantom Outlaws’ expansion across the United States and enabled them to hold their own in violent clashes with rival gangs and motorcycle clubs.
Cossacks Motorcycle Club
Territory: Texas, United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
Founded in Tyler, Texas, in 1969, the Cossacks Motorcycle Club has remained primarily confined to within the state’s borders. Unlike many other gangs on this list, the Cossacks do not have a long documented history of drug trafficking or widespread violent crime. However, their involvement alongside the Bandidos in the 2015 Waco shootout, a pivotal and bloody event in biker gang history, firmly places them within the outlaw biker landscape.
Sons of Satan
Territory: Nationwide, United States
Approximate membership: 100+
As a support club for the Pagans, the Sons of Satan Motorcycle Club operates in the shadows of its larger parent gang. Given the Pagans’ extensive criminal activities, the Sons of Satan’s role likely involves undertaking particularly dangerous or illicit tasks at the behest of the Pagans, reinforcing the support club dynamic within outlaw biker culture.
Devils Disciples Motorcycle Club
Territory: Nationwide, 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. Now headquartered in Michigan, the club suffered a significant setback in 2006 when members were convicted for their participation in the methamphetamine trade. In a surprising twist, Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman, the reality TV personality, is a former member of the Devils Disciples, illustrating the diverse backgrounds and paths of individuals associated with biker gangs.
Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club
Territory: Focused in New York, United States
Approximate membership: 100+
True to their name, little is definitively known about the Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club, 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 following a dispute over patches, suggests a level of boldness and potential danger that should not be underestimated.
Diablos Motorcycle Club
Territory: Nationwide, United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Diablos Motorcycle Club is characterized by a particularly disturbing combination of criminal activity and ideology. In addition to drug trafficking and murder, they are explicitly identified as a white supremacist gang biker group. Racism is a pervasive issue within outlaw biker culture, and the Diablos Motorcycle Club openly embodies this hateful ideology. Their involvement in a large-scale brawl with the Outlaws in May 2019, resulting in injuries, further underscores their violent tendencies and presence within the outlaw biker landscape.
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 exclusionary membership policies of other gangs. Established in Delaware in the 1960s, this “one-percenter” gang maintains a strong presence in mid-Atlantic states, including South Carolina and Georgia. Members have been linked to various crimes, including shootings and cocaine distribution, highlighting the complex interplay of race and outlaw biker identity.
Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club
Territory: Nationwide, United States, International chapters
Approximate membership: Unknown; chapters in at least five countries
Prominently featured in Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels, the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club was initially founded in San Francisco but later forced out by the Hells Angels. Currently headquartered in Oregon, their primary sources of income include methamphetamine trafficking, theft, and illegal weapons dealing. Gypsy Joker members have also faced accusations of serious felonies, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and torture, solidifying their reputation as a particularly violent and unpleasant group within the outlaw biker world.
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 groups like the Outlaws or Hells Angels, their 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, outlaw biker gangs operating across the United States.
Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club
Territory: Northeast and Midwest, United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, and with chapters across the United States, the Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club gained notoriety in 1997 when three members brutally beat an off-duty police officer to death in Maryland. The gang has also been linked to drug smuggling, weapons dealing, and shootouts throughout the Northeast and Midwest, demonstrating a pattern of violent criminal activity across a wide geographical area.
Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club
Territory: Nationwide, United States
Approximate membership: Unclear – 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. Today, their membership is racially diverse, including many military veterans. Notably, the Sin City Deciples are one of the fastest-growing outlaw motorcycle clubs in America, expanding rapidly across the United States. Members have been charged with a range of serious crimes, from kidnappings to illegal gun-running, and are known for their harsh and unforgiving internal discipline.
Peckerwoods Motorcycle Club
Territory: Western USA, United States
Approximate membership: Unknown
The Peckerwoods Motorcycle Club is another explicitly white supremacist biker gang. Their inclusion on this list stems primarily from their documented history of committing racially motivated attacks. Due to their hateful ideology and violent actions, further elaboration on their activities is intentionally limited.
Iron Order Motorcycle Club
Territory: Nationwide, United States
Approximate membership: Unclear
The Iron Order Motorcycle Club presents a unique and somewhat controversial case within the outlaw biker world. Composed predominantly of military and law enforcement personnel, they officially claim to be a law-abiding motorcycle club. However, the Iron Order has been involved in numerous violent altercations with “one-percenter” gangs in recent years, raising questions about their true nature and potential trajectory towards becoming a full-fledged outlaw club.
Night Wolves
Territory: Russia
Approximate membership: 7,000+
While outlaw motorcycle culture is often associated with America, dangerous gangs exist globally. The Night Wolves, a Russian biker club, stands out due to its direct financial ties to the Kremlin and its role as enforcers for Vladimir Putin’s political party. Formed in 1989, the Night Wolves adhere to Putin’s conservative ideology, including staunch opposition to the LGBT community, demonstrating the intersection of biker gang culture and political power in some international contexts.
Rebels Motorcycle Club
Territory: Australia
Approximate membership: 2,000+
Australia boasts a significant biker culture, with chapters of many prominent American clubs present. However, the Rebels Motorcycle Club is a uniquely Australian phenomenon, dwarfing most international gangs in size and reach. With thousands of members, the Rebels are involved in a wide spectrum of criminal activities, including murder, large-scale drug distribution, and auto theft, establishing themselves as a major force in Australian organized crime.
Rock Machine
Territory: Canada
Approximate membership: 1,000+
Between 1994 and 2002, the Canadian province of Quebec became a battleground for extreme outlaw biker violence. During this period, the Hells Angels engaged in a brutal and bloody war against Rock Machine, a Montreal-based “one-percenter” club. This conflict resulted in over 160 deaths, including numerous innocent bystanders, and countless injuries, highlighting the devastating consequences of biker gang warfare and its impact on civilian populations.
Outlaw motorcycle gangs, these “gang bikers,” remain a persistent and dangerous element within society. Their continued involvement in criminal enterprises and violent activities demands ongoing attention from law enforcement and communities alike. While popular culture may romanticize aspects of their lifestyle, the reality of their violence and criminal impact is a serious issue that continues to affect communities across the globe.
