1 00:00:13,759 --> 00:00:20,640 Gangs rule their territories through ruthless enterprises, fear, and a strict code. 2 00:00:20,660 --> 00:00:31,320 Deviate from this code, or challenge their power, and retribution soon follows. 3 00:00:34,060 --> 00:00:37,890 Especially in one of the most violent biker gangs in history. 4 00:00:38,770 --> 00:00:40,770 The Mongols Motorcycle Club. 5 00:00:43,380 --> 00:00:49,070 Here are three stories that forge the fearsome reputation of this vicious gang. 6 00:00:50,210 --> 00:00:55,740 First, the Mongols wage a brutal war over California with the Hells Angels. 7 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,840 They were murderers. They were willing to do whatever it took. 8 00:01:00,770 --> 00:01:06,510 Next, an ATF agent risks his life to infiltrate the gang and bring it down. 9 00:01:06,870 --> 00:01:09,829 He said, if I put a bullet in the back of your head, 10 00:01:09,829 --> 00:01:12,109 nobody's going to know where to start looking for you. 11 00:01:12,689 --> 00:01:16,730 And finally, years of bad blood with their oldest rivals 12 00:01:16,730 --> 00:01:19,959 reaches a boiling point inside a crowded casino. 13 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,109 It was a lot of carnage, a lot of blood. It was just chaos. 14 00:01:26,069 --> 00:01:29,930 These are the stories from inside the Mongols Motorcycle Club. 15 00:01:31,269 --> 00:01:42,120 This is Gangland Chronicles. 1969, Montebello, California. 16 00:01:48,069 --> 00:01:51,939 Police are on the alert for a new menace on L.A. County highways. 17 00:01:54,099 --> 00:01:57,879 It's an outlaw motorcycle gang called the Mongols. 18 00:01:58,579 --> 00:02:02,719 The Mongols really formed during the height of the Vietnam War. 19 00:02:03,870 --> 00:02:08,319 Returning stateside, some vets miss the rush of combat. 20 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:10,500 So what's going to substitute for that? 21 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:17,050 Being an outlaw gangster gets about as close to it as it can be. 22 00:02:19,389 --> 00:02:23,210 Many of these vets returning home to California line 23 00:02:23,210 --> 00:02:28,310 up to join the state's most infamous biker gang, the Hells Angels. 24 00:02:30,729 --> 00:02:33,689 But the Angels tell one group they're not welcome. 25 00:02:35,159 --> 00:02:36,159 Because they were Latino. 26 00:02:36,599 --> 00:02:39,750 There are stories about the Hells Angels not letting them in. 27 00:02:41,509 --> 00:02:45,479 These new outlaws start their own gang, the Mongols. 28 00:02:47,740 --> 00:02:50,580 And their logo puts the world on notice. 29 00:02:51,409 --> 00:02:56,699 Their center patch is kind of like Genghis Khan on a chopper. 30 00:02:58,340 --> 00:03:03,599 It personified who the Mongols were. They used violence as part of their lifestyle. 31 00:03:03,629 --> 00:03:07,409 They say, this is who we are. 32 00:03:09,060 --> 00:03:11,289 I just got back from a war. You want another one? 33 00:03:12,490 --> 00:03:13,009 Let's go. 34 00:03:14,969 --> 00:03:20,650 During the 1970s, the gang's members rack up hefty rap sheets, 35 00:03:20,650 --> 00:03:22,710 stealing motorcycles, selling guns, 36 00:03:22,710 --> 00:03:26,840 and committing random assaults on whoever crosses them. 37 00:03:28,539 --> 00:03:32,379 Their rage is fueled by the gang's drug of choice. 38 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,840 These guys are doing methamphetamine all the time. They'd stay up all night long. 39 00:03:37,539 --> 00:03:41,949 Soon, the Mongols aren't just doing meth, they're dealing it. 40 00:03:43,180 --> 00:03:46,939 In the late 1970s, California police estimate a single 41 00:03:46,939 --> 00:03:51,129 pound to have a street value of just over $11,000. 42 00:03:53,479 --> 00:03:55,419 Nearly 60,000 today. 43 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,590 From a street-level standpoint, putting that drug out, 44 00:03:58,590 --> 00:04:03,849 you're going to make a lot of money because there is an endless supply of customers. 45 00:04:05,219 --> 00:04:08,740 The gang traffics the drug across a network 46 00:04:08,740 --> 00:04:11,819 of new chapters that spring up throughout 47 00:04:11,819 --> 00:04:16,660 Southern California in what will become a multi-million dollar criminal enterprise. 48 00:04:18,129 --> 00:04:21,750 As the Mongols expand their California foothold, 49 00:04:21,750 --> 00:04:27,430 it's only a matter of time before they run up against 50 00:04:27,430 --> 00:04:30,519 the state's original outlaw biker gang, 51 00:04:30,519 --> 00:04:34,139 the Hells Angels, igniting a turf war. 52 00:04:38,730 --> 00:04:46,639 1977. The Mongols at a California patch called a bottom rocker to their gang colors. 53 00:04:48,019 --> 00:04:50,370 Putting that on was a direct affront to the Hells Angels 54 00:04:50,370 --> 00:04:51,870 that we're claiming this area now, too. 55 00:04:52,899 --> 00:04:55,990 They're vying for territory because they are trying 56 00:04:55,990 --> 00:04:59,079 to be not only the dominant biker gang, 57 00:04:59,079 --> 00:05:01,790 but the dominant in their drug trade. 58 00:05:02,730 --> 00:05:07,399 The Angels demand that the Mongols remove California from their colors. 59 00:05:08,129 --> 00:05:11,790 You're talking a bunch of Vietnam veterans, badasses and stuff, 60 00:05:11,790 --> 00:05:15,439 and they're not going to bend to the Hells Angels. 61 00:05:16,540 --> 00:05:17,579 And they said bring it on. 62 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:23,990 The feud between the two gangs comes to a head on California's Interstate 15. 63 00:05:26,579 --> 00:05:29,230 September 5th, 1977. 64 00:05:30,769 --> 00:05:35,660 Two Mongols, Raymond Jingle Smith and Emerson Redbeard Morris, 65 00:05:35,660 --> 00:05:38,920 are cruising south from Los Angeles. 66 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,939 Jingles and Redbeard were coming back from a Mongol event, 67 00:05:41,939 --> 00:05:45,920 heading back to San Diego, where they were from, and a car pulled up next to them. 68 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,319 What happens next starts a war. 69 00:05:50,379 --> 00:05:51,199 September 5th, 1977. 70 00:06:05,699 --> 00:06:10,889 A suspicious car pulls up alongside two Mongols as they cruise down the highway. 71 00:06:12,110 --> 00:06:16,649 Jingles and Redbeard were going down south on the 15 freeway in San Diego. 72 00:06:23,370 --> 00:06:29,920 A car rolled up and just sprayed them with a machine gun, and they passed away. 73 00:06:29,939 --> 00:06:39,110 The Hells Angels have declared full-scale war on the Mongols. 74 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:45,699 There was a lot of car bombings back and forth in 75 00:06:45,699 --> 00:06:47,649 that era and a lot of shootings back and forth. 76 00:06:50,529 --> 00:06:53,990 It was just tit for tat for years after that. I mean, 77 00:06:53,990 --> 00:06:57,500 we were just blowing up each other. 78 00:06:59,829 --> 00:07:03,250 Throughout the conflict, the Mongols have a standing order. 79 00:07:04,490 --> 00:07:07,939 If you can catch a Hell's Angel out by himself somewhere, 80 00:07:07,939 --> 00:07:10,139 you have to kill that Hell's Angel. 81 00:07:10,759 --> 00:07:14,230 It's a ruthless policy that will attract unwanted 82 00:07:14,230 --> 00:07:16,399 attention to the gang's operations. 83 00:07:18,449 --> 00:07:24,189 January 17th, 1982, Lemon Grove, California. 84 00:07:27,250 --> 00:07:32,560 A group of Mongols, including Scott Jr. Erickson, parties at the Horseshoe Tavern. 85 00:07:34,879 --> 00:07:37,930 Erickson spots a man wearing a telltale ring. 86 00:07:39,670 --> 00:07:42,689 A death's head worn only by Hell's Angels. 87 00:07:42,709 --> 00:07:46,730 This isn't just any low-ranking Hell's Angel, though. 88 00:07:46,750 --> 00:07:48,980 This is actually the sergeant-at-arms of the 89 00:07:48,980 --> 00:07:51,199 San Diego chapter, Raymond Fat Ray Piltz. 90 00:07:52,209 --> 00:07:57,009 Erickson sees his chance and moves in for the kill. 91 00:07:58,019 --> 00:08:02,860 During the scuffle, Erickson's gun falls out and falls to the floor. 92 00:08:07,930 --> 00:08:11,410 Junior Erickson dumped some bullets in him and killed him on the spot. 93 00:08:13,319 --> 00:08:18,410 Junior Erickson takes a plea deal and goes to prison for manslaughter. 94 00:08:20,660 --> 00:08:22,660 But the fallout doesn't end there. 95 00:08:24,129 --> 00:08:29,490 Killing Fat Ray in a crowded bar brings major heat down on both gangs, 96 00:08:29,490 --> 00:08:32,559 who have millions of reasons to avoid it. 97 00:08:33,460 --> 00:08:36,620 The Angels have a massive criminal organization. 98 00:08:39,110 --> 00:08:42,110 Likewise, the Mongols also have a criminal enterprise. 99 00:08:44,889 --> 00:08:48,820 So the angels sit down and start to hash out 100 00:08:48,820 --> 00:08:52,370 a plan to broker a truce with the Mongols. 101 00:08:53,330 --> 00:08:57,620 The Hells Angels agree to back off on the bottom rocker beef, 102 00:08:57,620 --> 00:09:01,549 as long as the Mongols stick to Southern California and don't 103 00:09:01,549 --> 00:09:05,120 try to open any new chapters in Hells Angels territory. 104 00:09:05,539 --> 00:09:09,259 You cannot cross over into Northern California without repercussion. 105 00:09:10,710 --> 00:09:16,519 The truce keeps the Hell's Angels at bay and the money rolling in. 106 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:25,970 But in the 1990s, the Mongols will have a new target on their back, 107 00:09:25,970 --> 00:09:28,100 one the gang fails to see. 108 00:09:35,429 --> 00:09:39,159 March 1998, Los Angeles. 109 00:09:40,299 --> 00:09:42,419 The ATF launches Operation Ivan, 110 00:09:42,419 --> 00:09:46,669 sending in one of its own to infiltrate the Mongols. 111 00:09:47,889 --> 00:09:49,509 And bring the gang down. 112 00:09:50,309 --> 00:09:53,970 The Mongols are involved in drug manufacture and distribution, 113 00:09:53,970 --> 00:09:57,620 and firearms trafficking, and a lot of violent crime. 114 00:09:58,620 --> 00:10:01,259 Agent Billy Queen goes undercover. 115 00:10:01,860 --> 00:10:05,289 I was riding undercover with the name Billy St. John. 116 00:10:06,539 --> 00:10:12,399 Working my way in took months because you just don't go up to the Mongols and say, 117 00:10:12,399 --> 00:10:16,139 howdy, how you doing? I want to become a Mongol. 118 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,159 Queen knows what's at risk if his cover is blown. 119 00:10:21,639 --> 00:10:23,529 They're going to move in and take care of business. 120 00:10:24,129 --> 00:10:24,990 They're going to kill you. 121 00:10:27,799 --> 00:10:32,600 A month later, Queen is invited to ride with 122 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,860 the gang to a motorcycle rally in Nevada, 123 00:10:36,860 --> 00:10:41,649 where he bunks with a meth-snorting mongol named Rocky. 124 00:10:44,100 --> 00:10:47,490 He took his big Bowie knife and cut that bag open 125 00:10:47,490 --> 00:10:50,879 and then he lined two lines out on the table, meth. 126 00:10:52,299 --> 00:10:56,309 He put that big Bowie knife in my face and he pointed at it and he said, 127 00:10:56,309 --> 00:10:57,970 is that line too much for you? 128 00:10:59,809 --> 00:11:03,980 ATF agents are forbidden to use drugs, even undercover, 129 00:11:03,980 --> 00:11:08,149 as it could jeopardize any future case in court. 130 00:11:09,610 --> 00:11:13,129 But if Billy refuses, Rocky will assume he's 131 00:11:13,129 --> 00:11:17,539 a cop and alert the gang, who will kill him. 132 00:11:23,210 --> 00:11:23,570 April 1998. 133 00:11:26,529 --> 00:11:32,340 Undercover ATF agent Billy Queen has just been offered meth by a Mongol biker. 134 00:11:33,799 --> 00:11:37,799 If he refuses to do it, the gang will kill him. 135 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,490 Queen has to think fast. 136 00:11:43,399 --> 00:11:49,600 I was able to roll up a bill over top of that line and wipe that line 137 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,330 off in my hand and into the floor where Rocky couldn't see it. 138 00:11:57,049 --> 00:11:58,549 And Rocky patted me on the back. 139 00:11:59,470 --> 00:12:01,750 Yeah, come on, let's party, dude, let's party. 140 00:12:03,149 --> 00:12:07,429 A few months later, Queen makes a major breakthrough. 141 00:12:07,460 --> 00:12:11,629 The president of the San Fernando Valley chapter came up to me and said, Billy, 142 00:12:11,629 --> 00:12:13,580 we want you to be a Mongol. 143 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:20,500 But I was told that I was going to have to prove to him that I could shoot a gun. 144 00:12:22,460 --> 00:12:29,429 But on arrival at a remote gun range, the Mongols National Sergeant at Arms, 145 00:12:29,429 --> 00:12:32,419 Donald Red Dog Jarvis, confronts Queen. 146 00:12:33,730 --> 00:12:37,970 Red Dog started getting in my face, saying, you're a cop. 147 00:12:41,100 --> 00:12:42,940 I said, Red Dog, I ain't no cop. 148 00:12:44,419 --> 00:12:48,909 Then Red Dog said, so if I put a bullet in the back of your head, 149 00:12:48,909 --> 00:12:53,029 nobody's going to know where to start looking for you. Is that right, Billy? 150 00:12:54,850 --> 00:12:55,929 I said, that's right, Red Dog. 151 00:12:57,669 --> 00:13:00,549 And then he said, I'll go out there and set some targets up for us. 152 00:13:01,820 --> 00:13:04,879 Queen continues to maintain his composure. 153 00:13:05,419 --> 00:13:07,840 I put up with whatever I had to put up with. 154 00:13:09,399 --> 00:13:12,070 And his efforts eventually pay off. 155 00:13:14,990 --> 00:13:15,529 October 1999. 156 00:13:18,519 --> 00:13:21,429 After six months of high-risk undercover work, 157 00:13:21,429 --> 00:13:26,419 Billy Queen is made a full member of the San Fernando Mongols. 158 00:13:27,299 --> 00:13:31,309 And he's unexpectedly handed an important job in the chapter. 159 00:13:31,889 --> 00:13:35,409 The president came to me one day and he said, I'm going to make you an officer. 160 00:13:36,110 --> 00:13:37,889 You're going to be the secretary-treasurer. 161 00:13:39,049 --> 00:13:44,720 As a treasurer, Queen will have full access to the Mongols' accounting records. 162 00:13:45,279 --> 00:13:48,639 They kept books that showed their criminal activities. 163 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,759 Selling dope or selling guns or stealing motorcycles. 164 00:13:54,629 --> 00:13:59,720 For the next six months, Queen collects highly detailed evidence against 165 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:04,809 the Mongols, until law enforcement has enough to make its move. 166 00:14:07,190 --> 00:14:07,429 May 19th, 2000. 167 00:14:10,980 --> 00:14:17,029 Shortly after dawn, 700 agents raid locations across Southern California. 168 00:14:18,649 --> 00:14:21,759 Fifty-four Mongols are arrested on charges ranging 169 00:14:21,759 --> 00:14:25,320 from drug and gun trafficking offenses to murder. 170 00:14:27,370 --> 00:14:31,090 As a result of his efforts, he brings down this chapter, 171 00:14:31,090 --> 00:14:35,139 and he brings down the leadership, and they get indicted and convicted. 172 00:14:36,019 --> 00:14:38,700 The arrests decimate the Mongols' ranks. 173 00:14:40,149 --> 00:14:45,200 But instead of being the final nail in the coffin for the gang, 174 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,139 they increased their recruiting efforts. 175 00:14:49,299 --> 00:14:52,470 The international president at that time was Doc Cavazos, 176 00:14:52,470 --> 00:14:55,990 and he was really pushing kind of a recruitment drive. 177 00:14:56,009 --> 00:14:59,450 He helped the San Jose chapter of the Mongols start in Northern California. 178 00:15:00,620 --> 00:15:03,620 But this doesn't sit well with their former rivals. 179 00:15:04,220 --> 00:15:08,129 The Hells Angels, they're upset with us because 180 00:15:08,129 --> 00:15:12,039 we started moving up north into their backyard. 181 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:17,429 This violates the terms of the agreement between the Mongols and the Hells Angels. 182 00:15:18,490 --> 00:15:21,330 So after 20 years of relative peace, 183 00:15:21,330 --> 00:15:25,399 the two gangs are once again heading for a showdown. 184 00:15:34,690 --> 00:15:39,730 April 27, 2002, Laughlin, Nevada. 185 00:15:41,470 --> 00:15:44,929 An estimated 80,000 bikers roar into the city 186 00:15:44,929 --> 00:15:47,960 for the annual River Run motorcycle rally. 187 00:15:49,429 --> 00:15:53,289 Among them are dozens of members of both the Mongols 188 00:15:53,289 --> 00:15:56,000 and their long-time rivals, the Hell's Angels. 189 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:01,000 2 a.m. 190 00:16:01,940 --> 00:16:05,990 Inside Harris Casino, a confrontation is brewing between 191 00:16:05,990 --> 00:16:10,029 an estimated 40 Mongols and 60 Hells Angels. 192 00:16:10,649 --> 00:16:13,940 People in the casino are starting to get really nervous when they see 193 00:16:13,940 --> 00:16:16,980 these two groups sort of mad-dogging each other and eyeing each other. 194 00:16:18,710 --> 00:16:20,029 It was becoming an issue. 195 00:16:20,570 --> 00:16:22,409 We knew that something was going to kick off. 196 00:16:23,409 --> 00:16:30,000 The Mongols and Hell's Angels are just one blow away from reigniting a war. 197 00:16:37,059 --> 00:16:42,159 April 27, 2002, Laughlin, Nevada. 198 00:16:42,179 --> 00:16:47,610 40 Mongols have squared off against 60 Hells Angels 199 00:16:47,610 --> 00:16:52,429 in a crowded casino, itching to throw down. 200 00:16:55,350 --> 00:17:00,210 Leaders from both sides make a last-ditch attempt to defuse the situation. 201 00:17:02,029 --> 00:17:06,049 When the Hells Angels entered Haraz and, you know, 202 00:17:06,049 --> 00:17:07,839 basically confronted the Mongols, 203 00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:12,309 there was conversation going on to talk the situation down. 204 00:17:14,839 --> 00:17:18,089 We were talking, the talks were going good. 205 00:17:20,950 --> 00:17:26,549 And next thing you know, a Hell's Angel threw a kick, and the melee started. 206 00:17:37,099 --> 00:17:40,619 Harrah's Casino erupts in a massive brawl. 207 00:17:41,220 --> 00:17:43,420 It was just chaos, full chaos. 208 00:17:47,789 --> 00:17:49,869 The violence quickly escalates. 209 00:17:52,630 --> 00:17:56,119 There's not enough security or law enforcement there to stop anything. 210 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:02,589 Both gangs pull knives and show no mercy to the other side. 211 00:18:07,180 --> 00:18:10,640 Guns appear and bullets fly. 212 00:18:16,549 --> 00:18:19,769 Hera's casino is now a war zone. 213 00:18:26,289 --> 00:18:32,279 Helpless bystanders take cover wherever they can, while the two gangs battle it out. 214 00:18:34,150 --> 00:18:37,380 It was a lot of carnage, a lot of blood. 215 00:18:44,019 --> 00:18:47,359 The Mongols were outnumbered. They stood up for themselves. They fought back. 216 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:52,670 The Mongols will defend themselves to the end. 217 00:18:55,289 --> 00:19:00,440 When the dust settles, two Hells Angels are dead from gunshot wounds, 218 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:05,160 and one Mongol, Anthony Bronson Barrera, has been stabbed to death. 219 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,420 There are other people that eventually passed away. 220 00:19:14,539 --> 00:19:18,549 They succumbed to their injuries that a lot of people didn't know. 221 00:19:18,589 --> 00:19:20,390 It wasn't publicized because it didn't happen 222 00:19:20,390 --> 00:19:22,200 on the casino floor. It happened after. 223 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:30,650 The Harrah's Casino battle restarts the war between the Mongols and Hells Angels, 224 00:19:30,650 --> 00:19:34,130 a conflict that continues to this day. 225 00:19:35,069 --> 00:19:39,200 Today, when you see a Hells Angel and you're a Mongol, you confront each other. 226 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:40,660 That's just the way it is. 227 00:19:42,940 --> 00:19:45,539 It's full scale right now. There's too much bad blood. 228 00:19:45,759 --> 00:19:49,619 Five decades of going back and forth, tit for tat. It'll never be right. 229 00:19:51,279 --> 00:19:54,039 And every time you get into it, it's a life-threatening situation. 230 00:19:54,819 --> 00:19:56,660 You don't know where they're going to pull guns. 231 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,220 You're going to be involved in a big shootout, like what happened in Laughlin. 232 00:20:03,089 --> 00:20:09,140 Today, despite efforts by law enforcement, Mongol's membership continues to grow. 233 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:15,019 As of 2023, there are an estimated 1,200 members 234 00:20:15,019 --> 00:20:17,910 in chapters across the United States. 235 00:20:19,809 --> 00:20:24,160 They're trying to grow quickly in numbers so that they can, you know, 236 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,170 then acquire more and more territory. 237 00:20:27,369 --> 00:20:28,750 Now we're in Southeast Asia. 238 00:20:29,289 --> 00:20:33,180 We were in Canada for a while. We were in Russia. We're in Germany. 239 00:20:33,819 --> 00:20:35,079 You know, we're all over. 240 00:20:36,710 --> 00:20:42,150 Now they are in the top eight of motorcycle gangs worldwide. So yeah, 241 00:20:42,150 --> 00:20:44,990 they're a very, very formidable group. 242 00:20:46,630 --> 00:20:50,549 They're a terrible, violent organization, and they scare the crap out of people. 243 00:20:51,150 --> 00:20:53,250 They scare the crap out of communities. 244 00:20:55,049 --> 00:20:56,529 They use their colors to do it. 245 00:20:58,210 --> 00:20:59,200 They are outlaws.