The Mongols MC was formed in California as a one-percenter group in 1969 and has its presence in more than 14 states in the US, as well as having many international chapters. As a one-percenter, the Mongols MC do not follow the rules or diktats of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) and have their strict code of conduct, much of which puts them in direct conflict with law enforcement.
While the concept of the one-percenters may have birthed as a band of brothers who love motorcycles and the open road, it turned dark with many one-percenters thinking of themselves to be above the law, even though they patriotically rode on Harley-Davidsons. With law enforcement bearing down on the Mongols, their attorneys claim that no criminal is allowed into the MC anymore as a rule, but even so, here are ten reasons why you shouldn’t mess with the Mongols.
10 The Mongols Are Very, Very Security Conscious
Ruben “Doc” Cavazos was once the Mongols National President, and when he held that position, he or his security head would dress differently and go on reconnaissance missions. Just before any major meet up of the chapters, they would go in and try to gauge the scene, making sure that the area was free of any enemies, be it from rival gangs or the law enforcement. The covert operations were also well planned with almost military-like efficiency, making the Mongols MC very security conscious about it all.
9 And Yet, Law Enforcement Managed To Infiltrate It Twice
Even so, the Mongols MC was so underhandedly involved in things that skimmed the law and sometimes downright broke it, that the law enforcement dedicatedly went after it, managing to infiltrate it twice. In 1998, agent William Queens not only infiltrated the Mongols MC but also became a fully-patched member and chapter Vice President. The sting led to the arrest of 54 Mongols MC members out of which 53 were convicted. Another decade later, one more infiltration was carried out, this time leading to the arrest of 38 members.
8 Among The One-Percenters, The Mongols MC Are The Baddest
According to the Department of Justice, the Mongols MC is classified as an extremely violent group and poses a threat to whichever states it has strong chapters in. And it's not as if the Mongols MC don’t wear their “baddest of bad” image as a badge of pride, because they simply love being bad. One of their mottos reads pretty similarly, “when we do right nobody remembers; when we do wrong nobody forgets”. Reason enough to steer clear of the Mongols MC, now and forever.
7 They Often Skim Below The Law To Earn Money
The Mongols MC has managed to increase its bank balances plenty over the years. While it may have been a law-abiding motorcycle club in the beginning, even if it wasn’t an AMA abiding one, things changed pretty quickly. Ever since David Santillan became the club president, in 2015, things have taken a better turn and it is said that now their unlawful activities have stopped. That said, other than dealing with illicit substances, the Mongols MC was also part of a motorcycle stealing gang, and pretty successful at what they did.
6 The Mongols MC Are The Hispanic Equivalent Of The Hells Angels
The Hells Angels are a white-only group, and the non-entry of non-whites spawned plenty of MCs, the Mongols MC being one of them. Not only did Mongols MC revenge form itself over Hells Angels' refusal, but it also became the Hells Angels’ biggest rival. The war between these two MCs has been legendary, and only law enforcement pressure, as well as a drama with the Mexican mafia, put it on simmer. Even then, there is no love lost between the two gangs and members of both MCs stay out of each other’s way and territories, lest another war started.
5 The Mongols MC Are In A Perpetual Tee-Off With The Law
Sadly, the war between law enforcement agencies and the Mongols has not died down. While now the Mongols MC’s attorneys claim that the new screening process makes sure that serious criminals are not allowed into the brotherhood, the ones that are already in it can not be chucked out, without proper proof. At one point in history, there were some 270 warrants issues against the Mongols MC though with a new president, things have calmed down to a big extent. That said, most law-abiding folks take one look at the Mongols MC members and tend to vamoose.
4 Mongols MC Speak In Ciphers To Keep It All A Secret
When in doubt, the Mongols MC tend to talk in code. And we don’t mean the kind of code found in Enid Blyton kiddie books, we are talking military-level precision of the codes and their ramifications. For instance, if a Mongols MC member ends up offing somebody, a code 55 is declared and all active members go low and off law enforcement radar. Code 55 also means gang affiliation needs to be hidden so for a time, all patches and vests are banned, as is carrying weapons.
3 The Mongols MC Are An International One-Percenter
If you think being a non-American keeps you safe from Mongols MC, here’s another shocker. The Mongols MC has its tentacles spread far and wide and is an international outlaw motorcycle club. While the baddest of the bad title remains with the US Chapter, countries like Australia, Denmark, and Germany among others have their version of the group, and none of them are cuddly kittens, so to speak. They also have international meets, and these places tend to empty of the general public pretty quickly.
2 They Had A Tiff With The Mexican Mafia
There are very few people who go against the Mexican mafia and come out relatively unscathed. The Mongols MC are one of the few, and while they did suffer losses, so did the Mexican mafia. Apparently, in 2004, some Mongols MC members got into a confrontation with Lasondra, a Mexican gang loyal to the Mafia, over a territory dispute. The Mafia wanted money from the Mongols, but they refused. The feud escalated causing a few deaths on each side, but later, it was settled behind closed doors; and no one knows for how much.
1 The US Government Tried To Take Their Patch Away & Failed
Finally, the US Government also went head to head with the Mongols MC, trying to take their patch away via legal means. Initially, they received a modicum of success, but ultimately, the Mongols MC won. Prosecutors got together and got a judge to grant pretrial authority to take the Mongols MC members’ jackets and patches away. When the attorneys of the Mongols MC went to work, they proved that this order had violated both the first and the eighth amendment rights of the members. The patches were duly returned, and the Mongols MC proved that no one should mess with them, even legally.