The Mongols

The Mongols is a motorcycle gang and an organized crime syndicate. This gang was founded in 1969 by Hispanic Vietnam veterans in California. The gang is named after the fierce nomadic tribe from 12th century Mongolia known as the Mongols whose famous leader Genghis Khan founded the Mongolian Empire.

The gang members wear the gang's vest with the three patches: the MONGOLS patch, the MOTORCYCLE patch and the STATE patch which identifies the home state of the member. It is not easy to earn the patch with the word Mongol, it might take a couple of years to be entitled with this patch. The gang has an echelon of leaders and they have a president that decides a member's standing in the gang. The Mongols criminal activities involve illegal firearms, narcotics, stolen motorcycles and killing for hire if need be. The gang's infamous for selling methamphetamine. The main rival of the Mongols are Hell's Angels, these two gangs are like cats and dogs and most of the time when members of these two gangs happen to be in the same place at the same time, there is a big chance of violence waiting to happen.

In April 2000 the ATF was able to arrest about 54 members through the undercover expertise and investigation of ATF agent William Queen known to the Mongols as Billy St. John. Agent Queen was able to infiltrate the gang in 1998. He started to hang out with the group, earned his Mongol patch and rose to the ranks by becoming the gang's treasurer. As an undercover, he was able to gather hard evidence about the gang's criminal activities: drug trafficking and drug dealing, illegal firearms and murder.

Presently the Mongols are gaining strength again and membership is growing. They have chapters in Nevada, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Oregon, New York, Indiana, Florida and Virginia and in Canada, Germany, Italy and Mexico and in the UK.

Photo Credit: News conference on Mongol members arrest in LA, Oct. 2008
Photographer: Ric Francis / AP Photo