(gunshots)
REPORTER: A wild shoot‐out on the streets of the Bronx.
Tonight, a 51‐year‐old grandfather shot dead
in broad daylight.
VAN ZELLER: I've seen plenty of violence in my career,
but a professional hit like this caught my attention.
The killing was allegedly part of an ongoing turf war,
but not between rival street gangs or mafia crime families.
These men were from rival motorcycle clubs.
KOZLOWSKI: That One Percenter patch is declaring 99%
of everybody else are law‐abiding citizens,
we are the 1% that are the criminals.
They wear that as a badge of honor.
STEWART: Some people might judge us for the symbols that we wear,
but if that makes us outlaws, so be it.
VAN ZELLER: These clubs are a contradiction on two wheels.
Proudly and loudly public on American roads.
Holy (bleep).
And yet, notoriously secret
about what membership truly entails.
MAN: You live outside the law.
There's just that 1% of guys
that don't give a (bleep) about the law...
About the (bleep) cops...
None of that (bleep).
VAN ZELLER: What's motivating the violence?
Who's calling the shots?
And what does it really mean to be in the 1%?
(train approaching)
VAN ZELLER: Within the biker world,
certain motorcycle clubs have a reputation
for violence and secrecy.
The Vagos are one of those clubs.
STEWART: Traditionally, our club has been
one of the most tight‐lipped of them all.
But I am a fan of opening people's eyes.
VAN ZELLER: That's how I end up at this bar
with the club's international president,
a man they call...
STEWART: There we go.
VAN ZELLER: Bigfoot.
STEWART: I started riding Harley Davidsons in my mid‐20s
and it didn't take long to discover
that these One Percenter clubs
dictate the life and, I wanted to have a say.
VAN ZELLER: The term "One Percenter" comes from the
American Motorcycle Association
which claims that 99% of bikers are law‐abiding citizens.
The implication proudly embraced by certain clubs like the Vagos,
is that the other 1% live by their own rules.
STEWART: We say to the world we understand
what American written law is,
but we believe some of it to be horse (bleep).
If you say something horrible to me,
the law says I'm not allowed to punch you in the mouth for it.
VAN ZELLER: Right. STEWART: We say we can.
And we accept whatever punishment comes with that.
And let me tell you this.
We don't (bleep) hate cops.
But what we, we don't like are the dirty portion of them,
who like to stand before a group of mainstream media press,
and then, they like to call us the Mafia on two wheels.
VAN ZELLER: They call you gangs, right?
STEWART: Yeah, gangs.
VAN ZELLER: They don't call you clubs. They call you gangs.
STEWART: They love to use that word.
Gang, gang, gang.
VAN ZELLER: Why is it that there's so much, um,
animosity between different clubs?
STEWART: I wouldn't say that there is.
VAN ZELLER: So you guys are best friends with all the other clubs.
STEWART: I wouldn't say that either.
Our club motto is "We give what we get".
VAN ZELLER: Uh‐hmm.
STEWART: And sometimes it results in some really rough stuff.
VAN ZELLER: What about murder? STEWART: What about it?
VAN ZELLER: That you guys have been involved in murder.
STEWART: Well, every once in a while,
a melee between a couple of guys or a couple of clubs go at it.
Maybe, maybe a guy dies.
When we go into this life,
we know that that is something that could happen.
OFFICER: Members of the Vagos motorcycle gang were armed.
VAN ZELLER: The Vagos have a bloody history.
OFFICER: They are an immediate threat to the public safety.
VAN ZELLER: But it's hard to get anyone to say
what's behind the violence.
One of the things that you hear all the time is that
"Motorcycle clubs are involved in drug trafficking."
STEWART: It's false.
VAN ZELLER: And that's not something you've ever witnessed,
or saw, or you do not condone that?
STEWART: As far as the Vagos motorcycle club being
some amazingly disorganized yet organized drug empire,
forget about it.
Not a chance.
I mean, of course, I'm on film, I wouldn't say it if we were,
but I mean, it's utterly ridiculous.
I don't know what every single guy does for a living.
I mean, I have no doubt that there might be a couple of guys
that are up to no good.
I don't judge my brothers, that's their business.
VAN ZELLER: Bigfoot wants me to believe in
what's called "The bad apple" defense.
The idea that the entire club isn't criminal,
just a few bad apples.
I'm suspicious, but I just don't know enough to know
if he's telling me the truth.
I need to better understand these bikers.
I need to go to Sturgis.
(cheering)
VAN ZELLER: For 10 days, every August,
the tiny town of Sturgis, South Dakota gets a little rowdy.
VAN ZELLER: That's what happens when the
city of 7,000 people plays host to half a million.
Most of them in leather.
Who comes to Sturgis?
MONTHEY: Everybody. It's all walks of lives.
You have doctors and attorneys that are here.
You have people that are homeless here
and everybody in between.
VAN ZELLER: But there's a darker side to the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
That's why I'm here.
And why Shane comes too, 14 years running.
MONTHEY: I work for the local police department.
VAN ZELLER: He's one of the more than 100 law enforcement agents
brought in from other cities to patrol the event.
Over the years, Sturgis has seen plenty of violence.
MAN: It's really intense, man, they were going at it,
the Mongols and the Hells Angels.
MONTHEY: I've witnessed a shooting.
I've witnessed a stabbing, and then just your basic assaults.
VAN ZELLER: Shane says most of the trouble originates
with One Percenters.
MONTHEY: Laws don't apply to them.
VAN ZELLER: So you don't think they're afraid
of law enforcement at all?
MONTHEY: You know, if they want to do something,
they're going to do it.
VAN ZELLER: As a journalist,
if I'm trying to get into these clubs
and see how they operate, um,
do you think that's an easy thing to do?
MONTHEY: I would say no.
I would say good luck.
VAN ZELLER: I hit the streets of Sturgis,
eager to find another way in.
What's strange about this story,
especially compared to other investigations I've done,
is that these One Percenters aren't hard to find.
They literally wear their allegiances on their backs.
But that doesn't mean they want to talk.
These One Percenter clubs are so secretive,
that some of them don't even stay in Sturgis.
They stay outside of town,
at private campgrounds that apparently, get wild.
Searching for an invite,
I reach out to a biker turned radio host named "Hollywood."
Who I hear is popular with the One Percenters.
MACECARI: And welcome to this edition of
Motorcycle Madhouse Radio.
Thanks for joining us.
(phone ringing)
MACECERI (over phone): This is Hollywood.
VAN ZELLER: Hi, Hollywood.
It's Mariana. How are you doing?
It's a long shot, but I asked if he can get me
inside one of these campgrounds.
To my surprise, he comes through.
That's where I'm heading now, to meet a One Percenter club
called the "Sons of Silence."
VAN ZELLER: Why do you think they agreed to speak to us then?
VAN ZELLER: So when I see the guard and the gate,
I'll ask you guys to put the cameras down.
Which I think is here actually, so cameras down.
We're here. We're here.
I have no idea what we're walking into.
(motorcycle engine)
Okay. So I hope this goes well.
VAN ZELLER: There's a steady drumbeat of violence
within biker culture.
My quest to understand why has led me to the private campground
of a One Percenter Club called the Sons of Silence.
It's like something out of Mad Max.
But our invite has come with some restrictions.
We can "Watch but not engage".
Oh my God. This is (bleep) crazy.
What the (bleep)?
No members can speak on camera
without permission from the leaders.
So I'm stuck, just looking at these men.
(camera shutter)
These faces.
I find myself thinking about the faces of their brothers.
The ones I've seen in mug shots.
REPORTER: Federal authorities indicted members
of the Sons of Silence motorcycle gang.
OFFICIAL: An illegal narcotics trafficking organization.
VAN ZELLER: In the 12 years,
club members have been convicted of everything,
from selling meth and cocaine, to sex trafficking,
intimidation, extortion, assault, abduction, and murder.
That rap sheet is front of mind
as I tour the grounds campground with our minder,
a biker named Cody,
who wears an "Enforcer" patch.
Do most members come?
CODY: It's a mandatory run, so everybody comes.
VAN ZELLER: It's mandatory to come?
Oh, I didn't know that.
Apparently, I'm not the only one who's got rules to follow.
What's this?
CODY: Every chapter has a flag.
And when they get here,
they hang it on a flag and raise it up.
VAN ZELLER: Huh.
How many are supposed to be up here, do you know?
CODY: I do.
VAN ZELLER: You don't wanna tell me?
Okay.
CODY: That's where the silence part comes in.
VAN ZELLER: How often is it that you have cameras
filming these events?
CODY: Never.
Never at all.
VAN ZELLER: Okay. BOAR: I'm game. VAN ZELLER: Yeah?
BOAR: It's your show, let's go.
VAN ZELLER: The only members we're allowed to interview
are Cody and a man named Boar,
who's been in the club nearly 50 years,
but even our interview has strict rules attached.
So I'm going to ask you the questions that we've agreed upon.
BOAR: Uh‐hmm.
VAN ZELLER: I'd say it's the first time that I have
a list of questions in front of me
because I usually like it to be more of a conversation.
But we've agreed upon these questions
and I believe you have answers in front of you.
So, first question is,
what attracts people to motorcycle clubs?
BOAR: A lot of people are attracted here
due to the freedom and the love of riding motorcycles.
VAN ZELLER: Uh‐hmm.
BOAR: The brotherhood and the sense of family
and belonging to something bigger than yourself.
VAN ZELLER: What makes this brotherhood different
than just regular friends?
BOAR: A lot of these guys we have in our club
are veterans of every war you can think of.
When I came, around 46 years ago,
it was all Vietnam veterans.
When they came home from what they ever did elsewhere,
they were told just to go home and be happy you're home.
VAN ZELLER: Many of these returning soldiers
struggled to adjust,
especially in the face of a protest movement
that often blamed them for the failures
and atrocities of the war.
Seeking the camaraderie they'd known while serving,
many were drawn to these civilian "Bands of brothers."
MAN: This is freedom for me.
What's real? It ain't plastic.
Society's creepy.
Mind (bleep).
BOAR: Some of the veterans have had their fill of people.
But here, they feel like they're at home.
This is where everybody is accepted
if this is where you want to be.
And that's what this was all about.
VAN ZELLER: The military's influence is telling,
on the surface, the scene feels wild and freewheeling
but there's a structure that lies beneath.
The mandatory attendance.
The flag displays.
The organized competitions.
They wear a different kind of uniform,
but they are still trained to obey their leaders.
BOAR: In our club, it takes at least a year
to be a full patch holder.
VAN ZELLER: Potential members must undergo a vetting process.
"Prospects", as they're known,
prove their commitment to the club
by following members' orders.
It's not hard to spot these prospects around camp.
I see one tending the fire.
Another one on his bike.
They can only wear what's called the "Bottom rocker",
ID'ing their chapter.
Only once accepted do they become "Full patch" members
and earn their "Colors", the club's logo.
BOAR: If they're not satisfactory to what
we're looking for, we get rid of them.
VAN ZELLER: Can I ask you though,
about the tattoos and the meanings of the tattoos and the patches?
BOAR: Okay.
VAN ZELLER: The "SS" which you know was the elite team
of the Nazis, right?
Or does the "SS" represent something else for you?
CODY: For me, it does, but I'm not going to talk about it.
VAN ZELLER: Cody may deny it, but charges of racism and sexism
have dogged these One Percenter clubs through the years.
BOAR: If you were a member, you'd understand some tattoos
are to keep people away.
VAN ZELLER: Uh‐hmm.
BOAR: And don't ask, does that make sense?
VAN ZELLER: Absolutely. I won't ask about the tattoos anymore then.
BOAR: I didn't hear you.
VAN ZELLER: I won't ask about the tattoos anymore then.
BOAR: Thank you.
VAN ZELLER: But I also won't stay on script.
What exactly is an outlaw biker? What does that mean?
BOAR: That one, I don't think is a good question.
The police are the ones that have deemed us
to be "Outlaws."
This is who we are, what we are, and what we do.
I think they're trying to portray us as something we,
we're not.
VAN ZELLER: And it's, it is working, because, you know,
I've been to many places in my life, but yet,
I was intimidated coming here.
I wasn't sure what to expect.
Is that something that you want to continue
or is that something that you're hoping
will change your image to the outside world?
CODY: We don't give a (bleep) what people think about us.
VAN ZELLER: Right.
But you also don't want people to think that you are criminals.
BOAR: We really don't care.
We're not here to be anything to anybody.
We're here for us.
VAN ZELLER: Is it possible that these One Percenters
just have an image problem?
That they aren't really outlaws, just outcasts,
wanting to be left alone?
Unsure, I head back to LA, where I connect with a new source,
a biker who says he's willing to open up
about how these clubs really operate from the inside.
KOZLOWSKI: That One Percenter patch that you see on my vest here.
They wear that as a badge declaring,
"Hey, we are a gang.
We are a criminal organization."
They know what it means.
The culture knows what it means.
But they're not going to say that.
They're going to call themselves a club, we're a motorcycle club,
"We just like to do what we do
because it's the freedom of the riding."
They're going to distance themselves
from any opportunity to say that they're an actual gang.
VAN ZELLER: How many clubs did you infiltrate?
KOZLOWSKI: Personally, I've infiltrated
three separate motorcycle gangs.
And each one of them becoming a full‐patch member in all three.
VAN ZELLER: In all three, you became a full‐patch member?
KOZLOWSKI: Yes.
VAN ZELLER: That's right. This dude is a federal agent
and within law enforcement circles,
a legend.
His name is Darrin Kozlowski.
Better known as "Koz."
KOZLOWSKI: Between 1997 and 2008,
I was undercover full time
for approximately six of those eleven years
in those three gangs.
VAN ZELLER: Koz explains that these clubs
had sold the public a story,
the same story that the Sons of Silence and Bigfoot
tried to sell me.
But the reality is much dirtier and, he's lived it.
♪ ♪
KOZLOWSKI: As undercovers, we are thinking the worst.
People have been killed even being suspected
of being informants or snitches for these kinds of gangs.
And there's been murders from people even thinking
that they were informants, and they even weren't.
VAN ZELLER: Uh‐hmm.
Darren Kozlowski lived with that fear for years
as an undercover agent with the ATF,
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms,
he infiltrated three of the most notorious
One Percenter motorcycle clubs.
The Vagos, Warlocks, and Mongols.
KOZLOWSKI: They'll make money from any means necessary.
They're opportunists, so if it's the drug game, weapons,
if it's prostitution, they'll find a way to do it.
And on top of that, you'll have the other events
that come along with it.
The violence, the fighting, the stabbings,
the territorial disputes, the murders.
VAN ZELLER: Koz explains that the brotherhood
these clubs talk about is real
and it's also what makes them effective as criminal gangs.
KOZLOWSKI: It gives them that means to conduct their business
with that level of trust.
That separates them a little bit differently from everybody else.
And then when they're getting some heat from another rival gang,
yeah, they can make a phone call to LA
and LA is going to send 100 dudes to that area
and that's going to be followed with intimidation,
going into bars, acts of violence, stabbings, beatings,
whatever it may be to establish themselves of the,
to a point of dominance
that we're not here to be (bleep) with.
VAN ZELLER: Koz tells me the Bronx killing was the result
of a classic turf rivalry.
The Pagans were unhappy that the Hells Angels
had moved their clubhouse into the Bronx.
The beef escalated and the Pagan leader was gunned down.
KOZLOWSKI: Because in their culture,
that patch means so much, that gang means so much to them,
that's what they live and die over.
VAN ZELLER: Weeks later, Koz tips me off
to a One Percenter's funeral.
A member of the Mongols Motorcycle Club has died
and his brothers are gathering for a tradition
called "The Last Ride".
Wow, you can see all the bikes already up there.
CICCONE: Yeah, wait until you see the procession.
There's, there will be 400 or 500 bikes.
VAN ZELLER: Yeah?
CICCONE: It's even impressive for us and we've been working it forever.
VAN ZELLER: But there's something else that makes
this funeral different, it's being monitored by the feds.
CICCONE: They know that we're out here.
VAN ZELLER: Yeah.
CICCONE: This isn't like a covert stealthy thing.
That, you know, creates a perception in their mind
that we're still working them.
And waiting for them to slip up.
VAN ZELLER: Special agent John Ciccone
leads ATF's investigations into One Percenter clubs
in Southern California.
During Koz's years undercover,
he considered Ciccone his guardian angel.
CICCONE: So what's gonna happen is,
you're gonna have your road captains, right?
Which are these guys.
And their job is to block off intersections as this thing proceeds,
so it keeps the whole pack together.
VAN ZELLER: Are they allowed to do this, to block the roads?
CICCONE: No, but who's gonna stop them.
You're not going to get yourself in the middle of all that,
just because they run a red light, you know what I mean?
CICCONE: There's a lot of 'em, man.
VAN ZELLER: The bikers fall into formation, again,
I sense the military's influence.
The Last Ride is a show of respect,
but it's also a very public display of force.
Oh, wow, so that's the hearse right here.
CICCONE: Yup, and then you got one guy protecting it.
One rider.
VAN ZELLER: And then it's just a sea of bikes behind.
Wow, they're looking at us.
CICCONE: Yeah, it's going to get dicey.
VAN ZELLER: Holy (bleep).
I mean, the whole car is shaking.
Did you see that?
He flipped a middle finger at us.
CICCONE: Yeah.
VAN ZELLER: I'm truly.
Like my body just need a rest right now.
So intense.
CICCONE: I've primarily worked the Mongols,
so I know the most about them.
They want to instill fear and intimidation wherever they go.
I consider them one of the most violent out there.
VAN ZELLER: Over the years, ATF's work has led
to several major takedowns.
O'BRIEN: Homicides, narcotics,
some extremely violent individuals
who were taken off the street today.
REPORTER: Speaking before a treasure trove
of seized assets form the gang,
the US attorney announced a major sweep
and takedown of the Mongols.
He called them a violent criminal enterprise.
CICCONE: We convicted the gang.
We had four agents that were members for three years.
I mean, they went through the process, hang around,
prospecting, and then full‐patch membership for that time period.
But, you know, the protocols were broken down to them.
You know, if you see a Hells Angel, shoot on sight.
The Mongols have killed three Hells Angels in the last month.
VAN ZELLER: No way.
CICCONE: There was a shooting here,
and then Denver was a murder, Indiana a murder,
Cleveland, Ohio a murder.
VAN ZELLER: So there's a huge fight going on between the two?
CICCONE: Yeah, it's been that way since the '70s.
VAN ZELLER: Agent Ciccone shows me the video of a massive brawl
inside a Nevada casino.
Two Hells Angels died from gunshots and a Mongol was
stabbed to death.
(gunshots)
CICCONE: 3,000 innocent civilians in that casino.
They didn't give a (bleep) and the Hells Angels didn't give a (bleep).
They came in and got it on. They got it on.
Because they're, that's what gang members do.
VAN ZELLER: Ciccone explains how the clubs encourage these rivalries.
CICCONE: If you confront another rival gang member,
you get a Respect Few, Fear None patch.
You know, it's a badge of honor.
If you're involved in a shooting or a murder,
you get a skull and crossbones patch.
So they're promoting the violence
and rewarding the violence.
VAN ZELLER: Giving them patches.
Of course.
It's been right there in front of my face the whole time.
Stitched into the leather,
coded language that speaks to what these clubs value.
CICCONE: You could put all the fluff around the Harleys and all that,
but it's a gang, we all know what comes with that.
Violence, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, assaults,
murders, shootings.
And they operate just like a street gang.
They just ride bikes.
We got some information that a group of Mongols
is at a restaurant over here in Monrovia.
So, we're just kind of go see what they're up to.
And then we'll see if we can make contact with them.
VAN ZELLER: So by contact, do you mean just, like,
try to talk to a few of them?
Like see what happens?
CICCONE: Yeah, we'll just pull up
and kind of sit there with my windows down
and see if I can stir up anything.
VAN ZELLER: You just love stirring up (bleep).
CICCONE: Oh, yeah.
VAN ZELLER: Is it just this, this Mexican restaurant?
Oh, yeah.
CICCONE: Some bikes.
So, there's definitely some members here.
VAN ZELLER: So they leave their helmets on the, on their bikes.
They're not afraid that somebody will steal them?
CICCONE: No one's going to steal them.
That will not happen.
VAN ZELLER: With no planning and no back up,
Agent Ciccone is about to roll up
on one of the most feared motorcycle clubs on the planet.
And the Mongols all know he's a federal agent.
CICCONE: Yeah, this looks like the, uh, where they're at.
VAN ZELLER: Oh my God.
Is this a good idea?
CICCONE: What's going on?
VAN ZELLER: The Mongol's motto is "Respect few, fear none."
The ATF has called them the most violent
motorcycle club in the country.
And yet, Agent John Ciccone has decided it's a good idea
to crash their post‐funeral lunch.
CICCONE: What's going on?
CICCONE: Sure, man.
LITTLE DAVE: Hold on.
CICCONE: I thought that was you, I'm, like, I had to do a double take, man.
VAN ZELLER: When Agent Ciccone invited me along for this ride,
I didn't anticipate a friendly chat with the infamous Mongols.
CICCONE: What's happening, dude?
LITTLE DAVE: Yeah, I didn't know you were with the wife?
CICCONE: Not this time, man.
LITTLE DAVE: Oh, damn. What are you guys filming?
CICCONE: What's up, man?
VAN ZELLER: And this isn't just any Mongol,
it's one of the top leaders of the club.
CICCONE: How did the funeral go?
You guys make your run and all that?
LITTLE DAVE: Yeah. CICCONE: How was it?
LITTLE DAVE: We've seen you on the freeway.
CICCONE: I was on the freeway, man.
LITTLE DAVE: Yeah.
CICCONE: Just stay off the freeways next weekend, man,
because, because Castiglione is getting buried in,
the Hells Angels in San Diego.
LITTLE DAVE: Oh, yeah.
CICCONE: He was like a 50 year member, man.
LITTLE DAVE: Oh (bleep). CICCONE: So.
MAN: Next weekend? CICCONE: Next weekend.
LITTLE DAVE: I heard they buried three other dudes, like,
in the last month.
I don't know why, but that's what I hear.
That's the real.
CICCONE: No comment, man.
LITTLE DAVE: Yeah, 3‐0. CICCONE: No comment, man. LITTLE DAVE: 3‐0.
The score's 3‐0.
CICCONE: No comment, man.
VAN ZELLER: Did you catch that score line?
3‐0.
Presumably meaning three Hells Angels dead,
zero Mongols killed.
REPORTER: Investigators say multiple people
riding motorcycles were involved in a shooting.
REPORTER 2: Police are saying a person was stabbed to death.
REPORTER 3: Initial details painted the fatal confrontation
between the rival gangs is an argument that escalated.
CICCONE: All right. I'll let you guys go, man.
VAN ZELLER: Wait, wait, wait. Can I ask a question since we're at this?
So we're with National Geographic.
MAN: Oh, I thought that was your wife!
CICCONE: That's the National Geographic, man.
CICCONE: You don't see all this camera.
LITTLE DAVE: Dude, I watch everything.
VAN ZELLER: Can, can we come hang out with you guys one day?
LITTLE DAVE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
VAN ZELLER: He's saying no. He's saying yes.
I'm Mariana, by the way.
Hi, how are you? So how do I contact you?
LITTLE DAVE: Oh, my number. Take down my number.
CICCONE: Geez.
LITTLE DAVE: (bleep). Don't record the number.
VAN ZELLER: So I'm Mariana. I'll call you.
LITTLE DAVE: All right. Cool.
VAN ZELLER: And then I'm hoping we can hang out with you.
LITTLE DAVE: We'll talk, we'll talk, yeah,
I can't promise anything, but we'll talk.
VAN ZELLER: Okay. CICCONE: Later.
VAN ZELLER:Thanks, guys. Have a margarita for us.
Oh, my God. That was insane.
CICCONE: There you go, man.
See?
What kind of hookup you guys got here today?
VAN ZELLER: But that was definitely (bleep).
CICCONE: Yeah, the guy in the white shirt.
VAN ZELLER: And he immediately obviously knew who you were.
And he jumped off his chair and came.
CICCONE: You have to understand that we have
an open communication, him and I.
It's a respect thing.
That's all I can really explain it.
I've worked these guys since '97.
We don't harass them or disrespect them, but we,
we work them and we put the criminals in jail.
Especially with (bleep), he's the national president,
you know, everything is under his watch.
He doesn't want to go to prison.
But then there's times when he comes more involved
with being the national president as, you know,
giving out those awards and those patches
when people do stuff.
VAN ZELLER: Uh‐hmm.
CICCONE: You know, he's behind that.
VAN ZELLER: So there's absolutely no doubt in your mind
that they perform illegal activities,
that they are criminals?
CICCONE: Oh, yeah. It's who they are.
Not all of them commit crimes every day
or have criminal histories,
but they have protocols that everybody has to adhere to.
You're forced into their criminal element
when you become a member.
And all they have to do is just act right
and we would leave them alone, you know.
But as long as they're going to keep shooting and killing people,
then we're going to be around.
VAN ZELLER: I want to know what role these leaders actually play.
And if these clubs are criminal enterprises hiding in plain sight,
then what's bringing in the money.
KOZLOWSKI: I would say the drugs make the most money for them.
VAN ZELLER: Koz tells me something that I didn't know before,
that the drugs they famously transport are supplied
and controlled by the Mexican cartels.
So if the cartels have such a network here in the US already established,
why work with the clubs to transport those drugs?
What's in it for them?
KOZLOWSKI: I think it's just going to come down
to pure business.
If you have a gang that can move X amount of weight
and you have a trusted member
who can deliver from that connection,
you now have a whole another network of people
to distribute to.
You expand that territory.
You've reached another group
that has that crossover connection with cartel types.
VAN ZELLER: Uh‐hmm.
This isn't about a few bad apples.
This is pure business.
To see the criminal side of these One Percenters,
I've got to follow the money.
Hi. How are you doing?
VAN ZELLER: And find the connection between the clubs
and the cartels.
And what about, is there, do you have any connections outside of California?
VAN ZELLER: Over the years, I've made underworld contacts.
VAN ZELLER: On both sides of the border.
VAN ZELLER: I've networked.
VAN ZELLER: I've built trust.
VAN ZELLER: And in moments like this, I know who can open doors.
VAN ZELLER: We just got the call?
FIXER (over phone): Yes, he finally, uh, told us where to meet.
It's a place where they feel safe.
It'll be a place where we can sit and talk and negotiate.
They know your name, they're expecting your call.
They'll send a pin of where, uh, we're supposed to meet them
VAN ZELLER: Finally, after weeks of hustling,
a cartel contact agrees to connect me to a One Percenter
who transports narcotics.
Let's make sure we're not being followed.
Okay. I'd say cameras down, guys.
Down on cameras.
It's more important than that we not spook them right now then.
FIXER (over phone): There's a bit of a complication.
They don't want us to bring our cars.
They want us to jump into their cars.
VAN ZELLER: Yeah. I don't think that's a good idea at all.
I don't, I don't feel comfortable jumping in the car
with somebody that we don't know
and where they're taking us and all that.
I don't think that's a good idea.
They should be around here somewhere.
MAN: If you get any updates, Rob, call...
VAN ZELLER: Uh, can we not talk on the,
can we not put the walkie‐talkies up
when we're talking, guys.
It's, like, if you want to scream undercover cops,
that's it.
I'm obviously paranoid at this point.
Is this them?
Okay, so that's them, guys.
Leave the car running.
Wish me luck.
Hi. How are you doing? Mariana.
DRIVER: Okay, I'm going to need you to put all the phones in the bag,
turn them off, and leave them on the car.
VAN ZELLER: And leave them in the other car?
DRIVER: Yes.
VAN ZELLER: So we can't take phones with us?
DRIVER: No.
VAN ZELLER: Can I take mine at least?
DRIVER: No.
VAN ZELLER: I can shut it off? DRIVER: Ah, no.
VAN ZELLER: So a little bit of a problem is that they don't want
any of us to take our phones.
So they've asked that we keep our phones here,
which makes me a little nervous.
That's not a situation like to be in at all.
Everybody's phones.
Are you okay?
Okay. Thanks, guys.
I'm in a car with a man I'm told is a cartel operative,
who I presumed is armed.
He's taking me to meet a One Percenter,
but I don't know where we're going
or what we'll learn when we get there.
So you're not actually the person we're going to be talking to, right?
MAN: No. VAN ZELLER: Somebody else? MAN: Yeah. Someone else.
Here's our buddy right here, to the right.
VAN ZELLER: This is him? MAN: Yeah. VAN ZELLER: Oh, wow.
So he was waiting here for us the whole time?
MAN: Yeah.
VAN ZELLER: This is apparently the biker in question,
and he's clearly been tracking our movements.
So do you work with the cartel?
MAN: I'm not going to say nothing.
VAN ZELLER: Sorry, as a journalist,
I start asking questions immediately.
MAN: Yeah.
VAN ZELLER: Oh, it's sort of a ranch house. Yeah?
MAN: Yes. One of many.
VAN ZELLER: One of many you guys have around here?
MAN: Yes.
VAN ZELLER: Good. Okay.
We arrived at a normal‐looking ranch house on a bit of land.
As I get out of the car,
I'm met by a masked man with a semi‐automatic rifle.
He directs me around the back of the house
and that's where I find our biker.
For his safety, we're covering his face and changing his voice.
PANCHO: All right.
VAN ZELLER: Okay.
Were you undecided about talking to us?
PANCHO: I was, yeah.
I don't really trust nobody.
VAN ZELLER: Did you check our work or did you check me out
to make sure that I wasn't police?
PANCHO: Oh, yeah.
All you guys.
VAN ZELLER: You did, all of us? PANCHO: Yes. There's a network.
VAN ZELLER: Of bikers? PANCHO: Yes.
Trust me, any information that we need from anybody is there.
VAN ZELLER: Can I ask you what club you belong to?
PANCHO: You could ask me all day, but I'm not going to say.
VAN ZELLER: But it's, would you say that it's a well‐known one?
PANCHO: Oh, yeah. It's a well‐known one. Yeah.
VAN ZELLER: I, I was told that you were part of the (bleep)?
PANCHO: Again, I don't want to say.
You know, I can't expose myself
because this is a serious business.
VAN ZELLER: What would happen if they found out
that you were talking to me?
PANCHO: I would probably get killed.
All these (bleep), they, they'll hurt you,
they'll hurt you when they have to.
VAN ZELLER: They or you?
PANCHO: Everybody.
Every last one of them.
VAN ZELLER: Do you carry a gun with you?
PANCHO: All the time.
VAN ZELLER: Do you have it right now?
So you still don't trust me?
PANCHO: I don't trust nobody.
VAN ZELLER: Why did you agree to do this interview?
And I'm going give you the gun back.
PANCHO: 'Cause I don't give a (bleep) about nothing.
VAN ZELLER: So what, what would you say then
is the major business of the club that you're,
that you belong to?
PANCHO: Narcotics.
VAN ZELLER: Finally, after months of trying,
I find a biker who's willing to talk about
what no one other One Percenter would,
the criminal side of motorcycle clubs.
♪ ♪
VAN ZELLER: What, what drugs are we talking about?
PANCHO: Oh, it's everything from weed, cocaine, glass, heroin.
You name it, we do it all.
There's a bunch of, bunch of guys that just love to ride
and want to be part of the club.
And there's others like myself that love to get money
and love that life.
And that's what we do.
VAN ZELLER: How much money do you make?
PANCHO: A lot.
VAN ZELLER: I push for details about their operation and how they
work with the Mexican cartels.
So, it's sort of a working farm here?
DAMIEN: Yes. This is where we started.
VAN ZELLER: The property is both a marijuana grow and a stash house
for whatever else might pass through.
This man oversees the operation for his cartel bosses,
south of the border.
These are getting ready to be harvested?
DAMIEN: Yes. Three more weeks. VAN ZELLER: Three more weeks? DAMIEN: Yes.
VAN ZELLER: So, you work with these guys a lot?
PANCHO: I do, yeah.
Myself and my people.
VAN ZELLER: They do the production side and you guys do the transporting?
PANCHO: Yeah.
DAMIEN: This is where we pack it, where we trim it,
where we weigh it.
VAN ZELLER: Wow, the smell is super, super strong here.
So this is the flower that's been harvested already?
DAMIEN: Correct. VAN ZELLER: Trimmed? DAMIEN: Yes.
VAN ZELLER: Ooh, it smells good.
I don't think most people know that you guys
are running an operation like this.
Just right here, out in Southern California.
DAMIEN: This is just us, but there's a lot more.
PANCHO: I've got a network of guys that get the merchandise
from these gentlemen and we distribute it throughout the US.
VAN ZELLER: Where do these drugs go to usually?
DAMIEN: Most of it goes on the street.
A lot of it goes to the different states.
The further, the more expensive it is.
PANCHO: There's plugs everywhere.
VAN ZELLER: Why do you guys like to work with the bikers?
DAMIEN: Like, they're not afraid of the cops, you know?
They're ruthless pretty much.
VAN ZELLER: Yes, even the Mexican cartels
think One Percenters are ruthless.
Does the club leaders know that you do this
and that the members of the club do this?
PANCHO: Yes.
VAN ZELLER: Do they make a cut out of it?
PANCHO: Of course, yeah.
VAN ZELLER: Do they make good money?
PANCHO: Everybody eats.
There's shot callers and there's people underneath.
They move other people, and so on, and so on.
That's how you take care of your family and live the good life.
Even if it's in this, doing this dirty (bleep).
VAN ZELLER: It does make sense,
what better business partners for Mexican narco traffickers
than loyal, tight‐lipped, road trip‐loving American outlaws
with local chapters crisscrossing a country
that spends nearly $150 billion a year on illegal drugs?
(gunshots)
I'm not saying every One Percenter is involved,
but wherever serious cash is being made,
serious trouble follows.
Why is there so much hatred between clubs?
PANCHO: It's, it goes deep. It goes deep.
VAN ZELLER: Is it a territory thing?
I mean, the fact that you're, assuming that you're controlling
the trafficking happening in this area.
PANCHO: It's all about territory.
That's all it is.
You got to stick with your brothers.
And if they say, "Let's go to war,"
we're going to go to war.
VAN ZELLER: To go to war,
meaning you'd have to kill other people, you would do that?
PANCHO: Whatever it takes.
KOZLOWSKI: A lot of organizations in the criminal world
don't advertise in the open who they are.
Motorcycle gangs do.
Even a part of me felt empowered when I got fully patched.
You get that sense that you have power.
VAN ZELLER: Most outlaws I've met live in the shadows,
but not these guys.
They're bold enough to tell us exactly who they are.
VAN ZELLER: And dare us to do something about it.
PANCHO: It's just dangerous (bleep).
You could die at any given time.
For any given reason.
VAN ZELLER: Do you think you'll continue doing it?
PANCHO: I've been doing it (bleep) my life.
I'll do it until I'm laid in the casket.
(engines revving)
Captioned by Cotter Media Group.