4 Hemet City-Owned Vehicles Torched

[Borderwatch]

4 Hemet City-Owned Vehicles Torched
HEMET, Calif. (CBS) ―

Four Hemet City vehicles parked outside a city lot were torched late Tuesday night, according to a report on the Press-Enterprise newspaper's website.

Hemet police responded to reports of a fire and arrived to discover several city code enforcement pickups were torched and destroyed, the newspaper reported.

As a result of the incident, Hemet police shut down the area around Florida Avenue.

No injuries were reported and Hemet police are viewing the incident as a threat against the department, Hemet Police Chief Richard Dana told the newspaper early Wednesday morning.

Hemet Police are currently investigating the cause of the fires.

The incident comes as the tense atmosphere surrounding a California police department plagued by booby trap attacks has been stepped up a notch following the latest threat against officers.

Someone called 911 at about 5:45 p.m. last Friday saying a police car would be blown up in the Hemet-San Jacinto area in the next 24 to 48 hours, Hemet Police Chief Richard Dana said.

"We're heightening the alert," Dana told The Press-Enterprise at the time.

The caller said the attack would be in retaliation for the law enforcement sweep against the Vagos Motorcycle Club earlier this week. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has not been able to confirm the threat, Deputy Herlinda Valenzuela said.

About 30 members of the Vagos, California's largest motorcycle gang, were arrested in Riverside County on last Wednesday, as part of a crackdown across the state and in Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

The gang specializes in methamphetamine sales, identity theft and violence, Riverside County sheriff's Capt. Walter Meyer said.

At that news conference, Dana, District Attorney Rod Pacheco, state Attorney General Brown and others announced a $200,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Hemet-area booby traps aimed at officers in recent weeks.

First, a natural gas pipe was shoved through a hole drilled into the roof of the gang enforcement unit's headquarters. The building filled with flammable vapor but an officer smelled the danger before anyone was hurt.

Then, a ballistic contraption was attached to a sliding security fence around the building. An officer opening the black steel gate triggered the mechanism, which sent a bullet within eight inches of his face.

In another attempted booby trap attack, some kind of explosive device was attached to a police officer's unmarked car while he went into a convenience store.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

[Ole Glory]

They (illegals) are good people. They only come here for a better life, to feed their family and work. They pay taxes. NOT

[Don]

This is how the Viet Cong waged guerrilla war against the So Vietnamese government. This conflict is reaching a whole new level.

[ilbegone]

Vagos MC

I'm not sure what the affiliation of this website is. I see what I believe to be a factual error concerning the Vagos concerning origins... I belive it was in Riverside county, this version says San Bernardino County.

It claims a mixed ethnicity, I've only seen white Vagos. This entry is under the heading of "White Prison Gangs"

The Vagos Motorcycle Club (Vagos) has hundreds of members in the U.S. and Mexico and poses a serious criminal threat to those areas in which its chapters are located. U.S. law enforcement authorities report that the Vagos have approximately 300 members among 24 chapters located in the states of California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and three chapters located in Mexico. The Vagos produce, transport and distribute methamphetamine and are also involved in the distribution of marijuana. The Vagos have also been implicated in other criminal activities including assault, extortion, insurance fraud, money laundering, murder, vehicle theft, witness intimidation and weapons violations. In the U.S., the Vagos are mainly active in the Southwest and Pacific regions.

Vagos MC

Established: 1965 in San Bernardino, California, United States

Years active: 1965-present

Territory: Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico

Ethnicity: Hispanic and White

Membership: 300 full-patch members, many more prospects and hang-arounds

Criminal activities: Arms dealing, Assault, Auto theft, Drug trafficking, extortion, insurance fraud, kidnapping, money laundering, murder, rape, witness intimidation, and weapons violations

Allies: Bandidos, Mongols, Sureños and the Mexican Mafia

Rivals: Brother Speed, Free Souls, Hells Angels and Norteños

http://whiteprisongangs.blogspot.com/2009/06/vagos-motorcycle-club.html

[ilbegone]

Bandidos, Vago Allies:

The Bandidos Motorcycle Club (Bandidos), also known as the Bandido Nation, is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang with a membership of 2,000 to 2,500 persons in the U.S. and in 13 other countries. The Bandidos constitute a growing criminal threat to the U.S. Law enforcement authorities estimate that the Bandidos are one of the two largest OMGs operating in the U.S., with approximately 900 members belonging to 93 chapters. The Bandidos are involved in transporting and distributing cocaine and marijuana and are involved in the production, transportation and distribution of methamphetamine. The Bandidos are most active in the Pacific, Southeastern, Southwestern and the West Central regions of the U.S. The Bandidos are expanding in each of these regions by forming additional chapters and allowing members of supporting clubs, known as “puppet” or “duck” club members who have sworn allegiance to another club but who support and do the “dirty work” of a mother club–to form new or join existing Bandidos chapters.

History

The club was formed in 1966 in San Leon, Texas by Donald Eugene Chambers. Many people think Chambers named his club the Bandidos after seeing a TV commercial with the Frito Bandito raising hell to sell Fritos corn chips. This is not true, as the cartoon came out in 1968 (although he did adopt an obese machete- and pistol-wielding Mexican Bandido as the center patch for the club's colors). Don Chambers, having served in Vietnam as a Marine, modeled the clubs colors after the scarlet and gold motif of the United States Marine Corps. After Chambers' presidency ended due to his conviction for murder in El Paso, Texas, Ronnie Hodge was elevated to president.

Organization

The Bandidos has over 90 chapters in the United States, 90 chapters in Europe, and another 17 in Australia and Southeast Asia. In the United States, the club is concentrated in Texas, but extends into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Washington State, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and several other states. The Rock Machine Motorcycle club in Canada merged with the Bandidos in 2000, and there is a chapter in Toronto, Ontario. The Bandidos are also found in Australia; aside from the non-locale-specific Nomads chapter, the chapters are located in Adelaide, Ballarat, Brisbane City, Cairns, Sydney Downtown, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hunter Valley, Ipswich City, Mid North Coast, Mid State, Northside, Noosa, North Victoria, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, and Toowoomba, and were acquired with much bloodletting. In recent years the club has also expanded heavily into Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, France and the Channel Islands. Additionally, it is looking into setting up shop in Russia and Eastern Europe and also in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The Bandidos are organized by local chapters, with state and regional officers, as well as a national chapter made up of four regional vice presidents and a national president.

Like the Hell's Angels, the Bandidos also have a number of puppet, or so-called "support," clubs, who are used as proxies for both legal and illegal activities. These groups usually wear reverse colors (gold border with red background rather than the Bandidos' red-border–and–gold background). They also commonly wear a unique patch consisting of a round patch in Bandidos colors on the front upper left of the colors (vest), as worn by the member. Most of these clubs are regional.

Bandidos MC

Established: 1966 in San Leon, Texas, United States
Founder: Donald Eugene Chambers
Years active: 1966-present
Territory: Chapters in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand and the United States
Ethnicity: White and Hispanic
Membership: 2,000-2,500 full-patch members
Criminal activities: Drug dealing, arms dealing, extortion, murder, money laundering
Allies: Mongols, Outlaws and Vagos
Rivals: Comancheros, Hells Angels, and Sons of Silence


Members’ Involvement with Crime

United States

In November, 2006, Glenn Merritt of the Bellingham, Washington chapter was sentenced to four years in prison for drug possession and trafficking in stolen property. A total of 32 members were indicted in the associated investigation, on charges including conspiracy, witness tampering, and various drug and gun violations. Eighteen of those plead guilty. In October, 2006, George Wegers, then Bandidos' international president, plead guilty and received a two-year sentence for conspiracy to engage in racketeering.

On 16 August 2004, a passer-by on Interstate 10 flagged down an officer after finding Robert Quiroga, International Boxing Federation Super flyweight champion from 1990 to 1993, lying next to his car. Quiroga had been stabbed multiple times. Richard Merla, a member of the Bandidos, was arrested in 2006 for the killing, pleaded no contest to murdering Quiroga in 2007, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. "I don't regret it. I don't have no remorse. I don't feel sorry for him and his family. I don't and I mean that," Merla admits. In regards to the senseless murder of Robert Quiroga, the Bandidos Motorcycle Club denounced any involvement in the crime, stating that Merla's actions were his own, and not those of the Club. Merla was removed from the Club due to his actions.

In March 2006 police in Austin, Texas announced that the Bandidos were the prime suspects in the March 18, 2006 slaying of a 44-year-old local motorcyclist named Anthony Benesh. Benesh, who had been trying to start an Austin chapter of the Hells Angels, was shot in the head by an unseen sniper, as he was leaving a North Austin restaurant with his girlfriend and two children. Police said that Benesh was flanked by other people and the shooter used only one bullet, fired at a distance from a high-powered rifle. The murder occurred on the same weekend as the annual Bandidos MC "Birthday Party" in Southeast Texas, marking the 40th anniversary of the club's 1966 founding. According to police, in the days before his murder, Benesh had been receiving telephone calls from Bandidos telling him to stop wearing a vest that displayed Hells Angels patches.

Scandinavia

A turf and drug war between the Hells Angels and the Bandidos, known as the "Great Nordic Biker War" raged from 1994 until 1997. It resulted in 11 murders, 74 attempted murders, and 96 wounded members of the involved biker clubs. In Denmark a law was passed in response to the biker war that banned biker clubs from owning or renting property for their club activities. The law was later repealed on constitutional grounds.

On January 14, 2009, the Bandidos Sweden President, Mehdi Seyyed, was sentenced to nine years in prison for two counts of attempted murder. He bombed two cars in Gothenburg, in September 2006, with hand grenades, in acts of revenge as the victims had previously testified against him. Four other Bandidos members received shorter sentences for their involvement in the attacks.

Australia

The Bandidos are known in Australia for their involvement in the Milperra Bikie Massacre, a shoot-out with the rival Comanchero Motorcycle Club that killed 7 people.

More recently, five Bandidos are accused of starting a blaze which destroyed the Rebels clubhouse at Albion, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia on March 27. All five faced Brisbane Magistrates Court again on June 4, 2007.

On 22 October 2008, Bandido member Ross Brand, 51 and an acquaintance were shot while walking outside the gang's Geelong clubhouse. Mr. Brand was struck in the head and died. Police have speculated that rival Rebels motorcycle gang may be responsible.

On March 24th, 2009 the Sgt. of Arms of the Bandidos Auburn chapter Mahmoud Dib was arrested and charged with firearms offences by police investigating a string of drive-by shootings in Sydney. Police found a.45 calibre semi-automatic pistol which was loaded with seven bullets. Previously Dib's residency was shot by rival bike-gang Notorious in what is believed to be an ongoing feud with the latter Parramatta based bike group and the Bandidos.

Canada

On April 8, 2006, four vehicles containing the bodies of eight murdered men were discovered in a farmer's field outside of the hamlet of Shedden, Ontario, Canada. Six of the men killed in what became known as the Shedden Massacre were believed to have been full members of the Bandidos, including the alleged president of the organization in Canada. Three of the suspects in the case are also believed to have been full members, and one a prospective member. Police described this incident as an internal cleansing of the Bandidos organization NSCC (No Surrender Crew Canada).

Germany

On June 11, 2008, two Bandidos members were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a Hells Angels member in Ibbenbüren, Germany. Reports say they drove to his Harley-Davidson shop and shot him there on May 23, 2007. After the first day of a related lawsuit on December 17, 2007, riots between the two gangs and the police had been reported. http://whiteprisongangs.blogspot.com/2009/06/bandidos-motorcycle-club.html

[ilbegone]

A short one on the Mongols, Vago Allies - not much info:

Mongols MC

The Mongols Motorcycle Club (Mongols) is an extremely violent OMG that poses a serious criminal threat to the Pacific and Southwestern regions of the U.S. The Mongols are engaged in the transportation and distribution of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. The Mongols are also known to frequently commit violent crime including assault, intimidation and murder in defense of their territory, and to uphold the reputation of the club.

A majority of the Mongols membership consists of Hispanic males who live in the Los Angeles area, and many are former street gang members with a long history of using violence to settle grievances. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) have called the Mongols the most violent and dangerous OMG in the nation.

In the 1980’s the Mongols seized control of Southern California from the Hells Angels, and today, the Mongols are allied with the Bandidos, the Outlaws, the Sons of Silence and the Pagan’s against the Hells Angels. The Mongols have also maintained their ties with Hispanic street gangs in Los Angeles.

http://whiteprisongangs.blogspot.com/2009/05/outlaw-motorcycle-gangs-in-united.html

[ilbegone]

Double post

[ilbegone]

Surenos, Vago Allies

This is under "Latino Prison Gangs":

Sureños (Spanish for "Southerners") are a group of Mexican American street gangs with origins in the oldest barrios of Southern California. There are hundreds of Sureño gangs in California, and each has its own identity on the streets. Although they are based in Southern California, their influence has spread to many parts of the US and other countries as well.

The gang's alleged roots came from a jail discussion between the Mexican Mafia (La EME) and Nuestra Familia (NF). Those who sided with La EME aligned themselves in the south (sureño = southerner) while those that sided with the NF aligned themselves in Northern California (norteños = northeners). Besides Southern California, Sureños can be found in more than 30 states (primarily in southwestern and central states. Norteños appear mostly in the northern areas of California, but are also present in numbers in western states like Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Utah. They also have a small presence in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles and in the south side of St. Louis, Missouri.

While increasing in influence and power throughout the years, the Sureños hierarchy is relatively unorganized, and has made enemies, such as the Green Light Maravillas, a smaller gang that broke off in order to resist paying taxes to the Sureños. Sureño gang members often use the number 13 as gang identification, as the letter "M" is the 13th letter of the alphabet to show their alliance with "La eMe" (Mexican Mafia). Sureños represent themselves with symbols and phrases such as "Sur 13", "Los Sureños" and "Sureño Trece". These identifications are accompanied by the color navy blue, silver, and white, numeric code of number 13 and the Roman numeral of XIII.

There are also many cliques in Sur 13 (a clique is like a crew that controls a few streets). An example of a Sur 13 clique is the S.S.C SouthSide Criminals, which controls a few streets in LA and Las Vegas.

The term “sureños” describes gangs professing allegiance to a gang set in southern California. The term was first used in the 1970s as a result of a California prison war between the Mexican Mafia (La EME) and Nuestra Familia (NF). This war resulted in a territorial division between gang members from northern California (norteños = northerners) who aligned with NF, and those from southern California (sureños = southerners) aligned with La EME.

On the streets of California, southern California street gangs are collectively referred to as Sureño gangs. Each gang has its own identity on the streets, and Sureño gangs share no common organizational structure; however, they are all subordinate to La EME. Within the prison system, members of these gangs often unite under the Sureño umbrella.

In addition to prison association, some individual Sureño gangs or gang members have migrated out of California and assimilated under the name Sureño, establishing themselves across the country. The gang members rarely maintain associations in California, but use the name to signal their alliance with other Sureño gangs. These gangs use names such as Sur 13, Los Sureños, Sureño Trece, or other variations.

These gangs routinely conduct low level drug sales and provide the California Mexican Mafia ten percent of their profits. Although Sureño gangs primarily profit from drug distribution, they will engage in almost any criminal activity that will turn a profit, including major theft and alien smuggling. Sureño gangs have also been associated with drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and conduct enforcement activities on their behalf. The DTOs prefer to use these “soldiers” in some instances so that they do not risk the arrest of high level DTO members. Gang Identifiers: Sureño identifiers will always include the number 13 and will likely include “Sur” or “Sureño.”


Years active: 1960s–present
Territory: Southern California, Central States and other 30 states
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Criminal activities: Murder, conspiracy, drug trafficking, witness intimidation, extortion, assault, auto theft, robbery
Allies: Mexican Mafia, Mexikanemi, Florencia 13, 18th Street Gang
Rivals: Norteños, Nuestra Familia, Northern Structure

http://latinoprisongangs.blogspot.com/2009/09/surenos.html

[ilbegone]

Mexican Mafia, Vago allies:

The Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme (Spanish for the letter M) is an American-originated mostly Mexican-American criminal organization, and is one of the oldest and most powerful prison gangs in the United States.

The Mexican Mafia was formed in the late 1950s by Chicano street gang members incarcerated at the Deuel Vocational Institution, a state prison located in Tracy, California.

The foundation of the gang began with thirteen members of the Maravilla gang. These thirteen prisoners that laid the groundwork for the gang referred to themselves as Mexikanemi, which is translated from Nahuatl as "He Who walks with God in his heart." The initial founding member of the gang was Luis "Huero Buff" Flores, who was previously a member of the Hawaiian Gardens gang.

While the Mexican Mafia was founded in part to show reverence to Aztec and Maya heritage, its primary focus was to protect members against other prison inmates as well as corrections officers. Deuel Vocational Institution was treated as an educational facility by convicts, where they would develop their skills in fighting, drug dealing, and creating weapons.

Luis Flores initially recruited violent members to the gang, in an attempt to create a highly-feared organization which could control the black market activities of the Deuel prison facilities. As a response to the increase in violence, the California Department of Corrections transferred some members of the Mexican Mafia to other prison facilities, including San Quentin Prison. This action inadvertently helped the Mexican Mafia in recruiting new members in both the prison and juvenile correctional facilities in California.

In the late 1960s, Mexican-American (Chicano) inmates of the California state prison began to form a rival group to the Mexican Mafia, known as Nuestra Familia. Membership was often determined according to the locations of their hometowns (the north-south dividing line generally accepted as Bakersfield, California.)

[ I got it from a Diablo MC member that Fresno is the dividing line between Surenos and Nortenos, and have heard it elsewhere...]

There was a perceived level of abuse by members of the Mexican Mafia towards the imprisoned Latinos from rural farming areas of Northern California. The spark that led to the ongoing war between Nuestra Familia and members of the Mexican Mafia involved a situation in which a member of La Eme allegedly stole a pair of shoes from a Northerner. This event put into motion the longest-running gang war in the state of California.

The Mexican Mafia is an organization involved in extortion, drug trafficking, and murder, both in and outside the prison system. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mexican Mafia had arranged for contract killings to be carried out by the Aryan Brotherhood, a white prison gang. Both the Mexican Mafia and the Aryan Brotherhood are mutual enemies of the African-American gang Black Guerilla Family.

The first prison gang street execution in Los Angeles was committed by the Mexican Mafia in 1971. Responsible for the murder was a white Maravilla gang member named Joe "Pegleg" Morgan. Morgan was well respected within the ranks of the Mexican Mafia and became a high ranking member. His connections with cocaine and heroin suppliers in Mexico helped pave the foundation for the Mexican Mafia's narcotics distribution throughout California. During the 1970s, while under the control of Rudy Cadena, the Mexican Mafia often took control over various community groups. The gang was able to filter money from alcohol and drug prevention programs to finance their criminal activities.

In 1995, United States federal authorities indicted 22 members and associates of the Mexican Mafia, charged under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act with crimes which included extortion, murder and kidnapping. One of the arrested members, Benjamin "Topo" Peters, was allegedly the Mexican Mafia's highest ranking member, and was engaged in a power struggle with fellow member Ruben "Tupi" Hernandez. Another indicted member was accused of having plotted the death of an anti-gang activist who served as a consultant for the film American Me. The indictments marked a two-year investigation by federal, local and state law enforcement officials.

In 2006, a 36-count federal indictment was brought against members of the Mexican Mafia. The arrests were made for alleged acts of violence, drug dealing, and extortion against smaller Latino street gangs. According to the federal indictment, Mexican Mafia members exert their influence in both federal and state prison systems through either violence or the threat of violence.

Members and associates of the gang remain fiercely loyal to the criminal organization both in and outside of prison, particularly in Southern California cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego. The gang asserts its influence over other gangs throughout Southern California by threatening violence against their members should they ever become incarcerated. Gangs and drug dealers who refuse to pay a protection "tax" to the Mexican Mafia are often murdered or threatened with murder. High-ranking members of the Mexican Mafia who are locked in private cells for 23 hours of each day are still able to communicate with their associates, through methods which range from tapping in code on prison plumbing pipes to smuggled letters.

While the Mexican Mafia is a highly-organized criminal entity, it is believed that the gang presently is not presided over by a single leader. Prison membership of the gang is believed to consist of at least 150 members with authority to order murders, and at least 1000 associates who can carry out those orders. It is estimated that the Mexican Mafia has over 30,000 members throughout the United States.

Modeled after the Sicilian Mafia in the United States, the Mexican Mafia operates on a paramilitary structure, including generals, captains, lieutenants and sergeants. Those ranking below the sergeants are considered soldiers, sometimes referred to as "carnales."

Members of the Mexican Mafia are expected to engage in tests of their loyalty to the gang, which may include theft or murder. The penalty for refusing orders or failing to complete an assigned task is often death. According to the gang's constitution, members may also be punished or murdered if they commit any of four major infractions. These include becoming an informant, acts of homosexuality, acts of cowardice, and showing disrespect against fellow gang members. According to gang policy, a member of the Mexican Mafia may not be murdered without prior approval by a vote of three members, yet the murder of non-members requires no formal approval.

During the early 1960s at San Quentin Prison, Luis Flores and Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena established a blood oath for members of the Mexican Mafia. Prior to the establishment of the oath, members of the Mexican Mafia were allowed to return to their street gangs after incarceration. The new oath stipulated that the only way for a member to leave the Mexican Mafia was to be killed. Flores and Cadena also established a set of gang commandments. These included policies such as: a new member must be sponsored by an existing member, unanimous approval from all existing members to join (no longer policy), prioritizing the gang over one's family, denial of the existence of the Mexican Mafia to law enforcement or non-members, disrespect of other members, forgiving street conflicts which existed before incarceration. Execution of a member of the gang for policy violation must be committed by the gang member who sponsored him.

While mostly found in California, the Mexican Mafia has a membership which extends to other states including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

The Mexican Mafia holds a strong alliance with the Aryan Brotherhood.

The primary rivals of the Mexican Mafia are Nuestra Familia. The Mexican Mafia is also a rival of the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang, which holds a loose alliance with Nuestra Familia.

Mexican Mafia symbols include images of a black hand. The gang's primary symbol, which is often used in tattoos by members, is the national symbol of Mexico (eagle and a snake) atop a flaming circle over crossed knives.

Members of the Mexican Mafia often use the number 13 as gang identification, as the letter "M" is the 13th letter of the English alphabet.


Symbols: black hand of death, EME, 13, Emero, So Cal, Mafia Mexicana, Aztec calendar

Founder: Luis "Huero Buff" Flores

Years active: 1957–present

Territory: US federal prison system and Southern California

Membership: 100,000

Ethnicity: Hispanic

http://latinoprisongangs.blogspot.com/2009/09/mexican-mafia-la-eme.html

[ilbegone]

Vago Rival Brother Speed:

The Brother Speed Motorcycle Club is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang that was formed in Boise, Idaho in 1969, but now has its mother chapter in Portland, Oregon. Brother Speed was established by a group of high school friends who rode motorcycles together. The friends noticed an increase in motorcycles in the area and decided to run a newspaper ad looking for anyone interested in riding together and starting a motorcycle club. A meeting was organized with approximately 20 people attending the first meeting. A few weeks after the first meeting, the group came up with the name, "Brother Speed". The club's insignia is a winged skull with sunglasses and its "colors" are black and gold. There are around 150 Brother Speed members and there are eight chapters spread across Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Utah. It is one of the "big five" motorcycle clubs in Oregon, alongside the Vagos, Free Souls, Gypsy Jokers and the Outsiders. Members must be male, at least 21 years of age and own an American-made motorcycle.

Criminal activities

On October 21, 2008, a Brother Speed member was charged with concealing a dangerous weapon after his car was pulled over by police in Eugene, Oregon. Police found a box of ammunition and two hand guns in the car. An Outsiders member and a Gypsy Joker were also riding in the vehicle at the time.

Brother Speed MC

Established: May 1969 in Boise, Idaho, United States

Years active: 1969-present

Territory: Northwestern United States

Ethnicity: White

Membership: 150 full-patch members

Criminal activities: Drug trafficking, arms dealing, extortion and money laundering

Allies: Free Souls, Gypsy Jokers and Outsiders

Rivals: Mongols and Vagos

Police estimate membership of the Brother Speed Motorcycle Club at more than 100 in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Utah. The club, founded in 1969, is one of six in Oregon identified by the state Department of Justice as an outlaw biker gang.

Members of the club wear black and gold colors that depict a grinning, winged skull wearing a helmet and motorcycle goggles. The bulk of the club's Oregon membership meets at clubhouses in Portland and Hillsboro, according to law enforcement sources.

http://whiteprisongangs.blogspot.com/2009/06/brother-speed-motorcycle-club.html

[ilbegone]

Vago Rival Hells Angels:

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (Hells Angels) is a worldwide "one-percenter" motorcycle gang with between 2,000 and 2,500 members who belong to over 230 chapters in the U.S. and in 26 foreign countries. The Hells Angels pose a criminal threat on six continents. U.S. law enforcement authorities estimate that the Hells Angels have more than 92 chapters in 27 states with a membership in excess of 800 persons. The Hells Angels are involved in the production, transportation and distribution of marijuana and methamphetamine. Additionally, the Hells Angels are involved in the transportation and distribution of cocaine, hashish, heroin, LSD, ecstasy, PCP and diverted pharmaceuticals. The Hells Angels are also involved in other criminal activity including assault, extortion, homicide, money laundering and motorcycle theft. Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada classify the Angels as one of the "big four" outlaw motorcycle clubs. Members of the organization itself assert that this is a mischaracterization, and state that they are a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies.


Insignia

The Hells Angels official web site attributes the official "death's head" insignia design to Frank Sadilek, past president of the San Francisco Chapter. The colors and shape of the early-style jacket emblem (prior to 1953) were copied from the insignias of the 85th Fighter Squadron and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron.

The Hells Angels utilize a system of patches, similar to military medals. Although the specific meaning of each patch is not publicly known, the patches identify specific or significant actions or beliefs of each biker. The official colors of the Hells Angels are red lettering displayed on a white background -- hence the club's nickname "The Red and White". These patches are worn on leather or denim jackets and vests.

Red and white are also used to display the number 81 on many patches, as in "Support 81, Route 81". The 8 and 1 stand for the respective positions in the alphabet of H and A. These are used by friends and supporters of the club, as only full members can wear any Hells Angels imagery.

The rhombus-shaped 'one-percenter' patch is also used, displaying '1%', in red on a white background with a red merrowed border. The term "one-percenter" is a response to the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) comment on the Hollister incident, in which the AMA stated that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens and the last 1% were outlaws.

Most members wear a rectangular patch (again, white background with red letters and a red marrowed border) identifying their respective chapter locations. Another similarly designed patch reads "Hells Angels".

When applicable, members of the club wear a patch denoting their position or rank within the organization. The patch is rectangular, and, similarly to the patches described above, displays a white background with red letters and a red merrowed border. Some examples of the titles used are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant at Arms. This patch is usually worn above the 'club location' patch.

Some members also wear a patch with the initials "AFFA", which stands for "Angels Forever; Forever Angels", referring to their lifelong membership in the biker club (i.e., "once a member, always a member").

The book Gangs, written by Tony Thompson (a crime correspondent for The Observer newspaper), states that Stephen Cunningham, a member of the Angels, sported a new patch after he recovered from attempting to set a bomb: two Nazi-style SS lightning bolts below the words 'Filthy Few'. Some law enforcement officials claim that the patch is only awarded to those who have committed, or are prepared to commit, murder on behalf of the club. According to a report from the R. v. Bonner and Lindsay case in 2005 (see related section below), another patch, similar to the 'Filthy Few' patch, is the 'Dequiallo' patch. This patch "signifies that the wearer has fought law enforcement on arrest". There is no common convention as to where the patches are located on the members' jacket/vest.

Hells Angels MC

Established: March 17, 1948 in Fontana, California, United States

Founder: Otto Friedli

Years active: 1948-present

Territory: Chapters in North America, South America, Europe, Russia, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia

Ethnicity: Predominantly White

Membership: 3,600 full-patch members worldwide

Criminal activities: Drug dealing, arms dealing, extortion, prostitution, trafficking in stolen goods

Allies: Aryan Brotherhood, Cali Cartel, Indian Posse, Warlocks and various other biker gangs

Rivals: Bandidos, Mongols, Outlaws and Pagans

Hells Angels MC is labeled a Street Gang
Wednesday, Sep. 23 2009

According to a jury and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club are officially a "street gang."

The gang's new label comes as the result of the conviction of one of its members in a Maricopa County Superior Court last week, where jurors were specifically asked if they deemed the Hells Angels a "street gang." Well, they did and convicted 32-year-old Nathaniel Sample of aggravated assault and of acting for the benefit of a criminal street gang.

The conviction stems from a 2008 incident at the Billet Bar in Scottsdale, when Sample and another man allegedly used a beer bottle to beat a man in the head. The beating started after the victim accidentally bumped into Sample and only ended when a woman jumped on the victim to prevent the men from beating him further.

Labeling the group a street gang provides law enforcement with precedent that allows it to more aggressively pursue and prosecute members of the Hells Angels. "This verdict sends a message to all street gangs that their acts of violence and terror will not be tolerated," Andrew Thomas says in a statement.

http://whiteprisongangs.blogspot.com/2009/07/hells-angels-motorcycle-club.html

[ilbegone]

Vago rival Nortenos:

The Norteños (Spanish: Northerners), also Norte, are affiliated with Nuestra Familia (Our Family), are a coalition of traditionally Latino gangs in Northern California. A member of these gangs is a Norteño (male) or Norteña (female); based on Spanish usage. Northern Californians who are not gang members, but feel a strong cultural affiliation with others in Northern California, may also refer to themselves as Norteños/Norteñas or simply "Northerners."

The traditional rivals of the Norteños are the Sureños ("Southerners"). The statewide dividing line between Norteños and Sureños has roughly been accepted as the rural community of Delano, California. Norteños may refer to Northern California as Norte, Spanish for "north".

In the late 1960s, Mexican-American (Chicano) inmates of the California state prison system began to separate into two rival groups, Norteños (northerners) and Sureños (southerners), according to the locations of their hometowns (the north-south dividing line is near Delano, California).

Norteños affiliated with Nuestra Familia were prison enemies of the Southern Latinos who comprised La Eme, better known as the Mexican Mafia. While the Mexican Mafia had initially been created to protect Mexicans in prison, there was a perceived level of abuse by members of La Eme towards the imprisoned Latinos from rural farming areas of Northern California. The spark that led to the ongoing war between Norteños and members of the Mexican Mafia involved a situation in which a member of La Eme allegedly stole a pair of shoes from a Northerner. This event put into motion the longest-running gang war in the state of California.

Federal law enforcement agencies, long unable to infiltrate the group, began to step up their investigations in the late 1990s. In 2000 and 2001, 22 members were indicted on racketeering charges, including several who were allegedly serving as high-ranking gang leaders while confined in Pelican Bay. Thirteen of the defendants pleaded guilty; the other cases are still ongoing. Two of the defendants face the death penalty for ordering murders related to the drug trade. The largest of the federal investigations was Operation Black Widow.

In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest ranking leaders of the Norteños were transferred to a federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. The written constitution of the Norteños stated that the leadership of the gang reside in Pelican Bay State Prison in California; the relocation of the gang's leaders led to the confusion of its soldiers and a power struggle of prospective generals.

Three new generals came to power at Pelican Bay, yet two were demoted, leaving only David "DC" Cervantes as the highest ranking member of the gang in California. Cervantes' rise marked the first time in decades that the Norteños had a single leader at the helm of their criminal organization. The remaining leadership of the organization in Pelican Bay consists of Daniel "Stork" Perez, Anthony "Chuco" Guillen and George "Puppet" Franco. While all Norteño soldiers and captains in California are expected to follow the orders of Cervantes, a small percentage of the gang remains loyal to the former generals and captains imprisoned in Colorado. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has complained that keeping the five remaining gang leaders located in the same prison continues to add to California gang violence, and that they should be scattered throughout different prisons. While the recognized leaders of the Norteños in Pelican Bay ask that members respect the former leaders, they have been effectively stripped of their authority. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez.

Norteño emblems and clothing are based on the color red. A typical Norteño outfit might include a red belt, red shoes, and red shoelaces. They will also favor sports team apparel that shows their affiliation through symbolism such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers football, UNLV, K-Swiss, and San Francisco 49ers.

Norteños may refer to each other by using the term "Ene", Spanish for the letter "N". Norteños use the number 14 in tattoos and graffiti because "N" is the fourteenth letter of the alphabet. It is sometimes written as "X4", or in Roman numerals as "XIV". Some Norteños will tattoo themselves with four dots. Norteño derogatorily refers to a Sureño as a "Scrap" or "Sur (Sewer) Rat", while a Sureño will likewise refer to a Norteño as a "Buster" or "Chap" (Chapete).

Norteños also lay claim to images of the Mexican-American labor movement, such as the sombrero, machete, and "Huelga bird", symbols of the United Farm Workers.

Territory: Northern California & Central California

Ethnicity: predominantly Hispanic

Criminal activities: Drug trafficking, assault, auto theft, burglary, homicide, robbery

Allies: Nuestra Familia, Northern Structure, Black Guerilla Family

Rivals: Sureños, Mexican Mafia, Mexikanemi, Aryan Brotherhood, Florencia 13, 18th Street Gang

Watsonville man suspected in 2005 prison-ordered gang hit
By Jennifer Squires
Posted: 09/04/2009

WATSONVILLE -- An alleged prison-gang hit man suspected in the attempted murder of a fellow Norteno gang member four years ago has been arrested by Watsonville police.

Freddie "Danger" Guzman drove the car Sept. 17, 2005 while his accomplice Anthony "Tigre" Rubalcava shot Mark Escobedo in the chest and left him for dead on the side of Highway 152, according to authorities.

But Escobedo, who investigators say was not in good standing with the gang and was marked for murder by Nuestra Familia prison gang leaders, didn't die.

Instead, he helped investigators identify his would-be killers.

Earlier this summer, Rubalcava was arrested, charged and found guilty of gang-motivated attempted murder in Santa Clara County. The 33-year-old was sent to state prison for 55 years to life.

Tuesday, a warrant was issued for Guzman, who was arrested during a traffic stop Wednesday on Arlene Drive, Watsonville police reported. He faces the same sentence, if convicted.

Police said the attempt on Escobedo's life can be traced to Nuestra Familia leaders in prison. Both Rubalcava and Guzman, now 31, served prison sentences before the attack on Escobedo.

Watsonville police Sgt. Saul Gonzalez said the two suspected hit men connected in prison and rose within the Norteno organization. They had marching orders when they were released from prison, Gonzalez said.

One of their instructions, allegedly, was to murder Escobedo.

"It's very hard to trace it back to who actually ordered it," Gonzalez said. "We have a lot of incidents where gang members are assaulted by their own gang for discipline, but some of them can be as minor as being jumped or hit across the face. ... This one seemed like they were trying to kill him."

The three men were not in the same gang subset, but all were players within the Norteno scene in Watsonville and knew each other, according to Gonzalez.

The night Rubalcava and Guzman are thought to have targeted Escobedo, they allegedly told him to drive over Mount Madonna with them to Gilroy to collect money from drug sales. Gonzalez said revenue from narcotics trafficking is taxed by Nortenos and funneled to Nuestra Familia officials in prison.

The trio didn't make it to Gilroy.

Just across the Santa Cruz-Santa Clara county line, Guzman, the driver, pulled off the road, police said. Rubalcava then shot Escobedo in the chest -- he was later convicted of that crime by a jury -- and the two alleged hit men fled.

A passing motorist noticed Escobedo bleeding on the side of the road and called 911, according to investigators, who credit the fast-responding ambulance to Escobedo's survival.

"When they left I think they assumed he was dead," Gonzalez said.

After the shooting, Escobedo, now 29, distanced himself from his gang, police said. Eventually, detectives from Watsonville police and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office put the pieces together.

Escobedo testified against Rubalcava this summer and said Guzman drove the car, police said.

It's still unclear why led gang leaders might have ordered the hit.

"Sometimes it can just be on a belief, a rumor," Gonzalez said, explaining that many of the city's unsolved beatings, stabbings and shootings are likely tied to gang-ordered punishment. "A lot of the stuff, when victims don't cooperate, it is internal conflict."

[ilbegone]

My conclusion is that the issues here are much more complex than seeing the word "Vago" and equating it with "Illegal alien".

[Kathy63]

My conclusion is that the issues here are much more complex than seeing the word "Vago" and equating it with "Illegal alien".

You are right. Unfortuately the accurate connection would be a word we dare not speak, and the accurate connection would mark the speaker as a racist.

The dreaded H word.

[Rim05]

It has crossed my mind that this is not the gang but a drug cartel. Could be drugs and they have infiltrated the PD and that is why they know details about what the PD is doing.