Bandidos

This article is about the Bandidos motorcycle club. For the spaghetti western of the same name, see Bandidos (film) .

Clubhouse of the Bandidos MC Berlin

The Bandidos Motorcycle Club ( BMC ), also known as Bandido Nation , is a motorcycle and rocker club with a worldwide membership. The club was established in March 1966 in Houston ( Texas ) by Donald Eugene Chambers founded. In 2005 the club was estimated to have around 5,000 members with 210 local groups in 22 countries, making it the second largest motorcycle club in the world after the Hells Angels . Bandidos MC members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Bandidos member

Since March 16, 2017, the Bandidos, along with the Chicanos , the Diablos MC, Gremium MC , Hells Angels MC , Mongols MC , Red Devils MC , Satudarah MC and the Schwarze Schar MC, have been banned nationwide by a new, tightened association law in Germany to show official emblems in public. In June 2017, it became known that the Bandidos chapters were wearing the first official new badge on their backs as a result of the color ban in Germany, nationwide. The large-format letters “BMC” in the Bandidos colors red & gold are worn on the back of the vest, which also shows the breast patches that are not forbidden on the front.

The club

founding

The club was founded in 1966 by Vietnam war veterans in Houston ( Texas founded). The founder Donald Eugene Chambers named the club in honor of Mexican bandits who lived by their own rules, and he also chose a Mexican bandit with a large machete and a revolver as a center patch for the club's logo. The chosen colors red and gold are traced back to the insignia of the US Marines . Chambers recruited members from biker bars in Houston, Corpus Christi , Galveston, and San Antonio .

expansion

After Chambers' presidency ended, Ronald Jerome "Ronnie" Hodge was named president. Under the supervision of Hodge, the club spread internationally. The club expanded to Europe in 1989 with a first local chapter (" Chapters ") in Marseille ( France ). Scandinavia followed in the following years, followed by Luxembourg in 1997 . In 2000 the first chapter was founded in Italy. The club has been represented in Germany since the yellow Ghostrider's MC as well as the Road Eagle MC Nomads and Destroyers Munich joined in 1999. 17 German local chapters were added, each of which was initially considered a trial chapter, recognizable by the “Probationary” lettering. The German clubs switched to the internationally represented Bandidos shortly after the surprise transfer of the then largest German motorcycle club Bones MC to the previously hostile Hells Angels . This trial period lasted a little over half a year. In June 2000 the Bandidos from Germany officially exchanged the “Probationary” lettering for the “Germany” lettering with the blessing of the Americans and the European board. In March 2012, 71 chapters were known to the police in Germany.

Regional associations (chapters) Australia Belgium Brunei Costa Rica Denmark Germany England Estonia Finland France Greece Italy Indonesia Ireland Japan Canada Channel Islands Kazakhstan Malaysia New Zealand Netherlands Norway Panama Paraguay Philippines Russia Sweden Serbia Singapore Spain Thailand Ukraine United States United Arab Emirates

Support clubs (supporters) Area 42 MC Bad attitude crew Bad Breed MC Banda Este Bear Jaw Black Rain MC Blood Brothers Bulldogs Burnout Company MC Caballeros MC Calavera MC Camaradas MC Cangaceiros MC Cartel del Barrio Chicanos Cityskulls Cobra MC Compadres MC Companeros MC Cons Conquistadors MC Crew 45 Darkrage MC Deaf Bisons MC Deathriders MC Desperados MC Destralos MC Diablos MC El Militante MC Escuderos MC Fiebre de Muerte MC Gladiatores MC Gray Ghost MC Gringos MC Guardians MC Guerrillas MC Harami MC

Hermanos MC Hombres MC Iron Dragons MC Kvillebäcken MC Ladrones MC La Honra MC La Onda Lones MC Los Aliados MC Los Malos MC Los Muertos Los Pacos Malditos MC Malos Hombres Mexican Rebels Mexican Syndicate Los Aliados MC Minotaur MC OK Riders MC Omerta MC Ozark Riders MC Picaros MC Pistoleros MC Predadores MC Rapidos MC Rippers MC Ronin's MC Salty Dogs MC Skulls of Sahara MC Southern Bikers MC Special crew Troop MC Vatos Locos MC Vengator MC Warheads MC X team Zapata MC

background

hierarchy

The structures of the hierarchy of each chapter are structured as follows:

1. President - Head of the Chapter (local group)
2. Vice President - Deputy President
3. Sergeant at Arms - responsible for discipline and safety
4. Secretary - Administration
5. Treasurer - Treasurer
6. Road Captain - organization of motorcycle convoys
7. Member - member
8. Prospect - candidate for member status
9. Hangaround - Candidate for prospect status
10. Supporter - Member of a Bandidos support club

As a rule, the patches of all Bandidos support clubs are in the colors red and gold; however, in contrast to the Bandidos, the lettering is basically yellow on red instead of red on yellow. It is not uncommon for proven members of a support club to join the Bandidos.

Slogan and patches

Expect no mercy

• Bad company : German 'Bad society'; a bandidos slogan
• BFFB : "Bandidos Forever, Forever Bandidos"; a bandidos slogan
• Expect No Mercy : literally: 'Expect no mercy', according to various law enforcement agencies for the club, the wearer of the patch killed a person or inflicted a serious injury on someone
• Fat Mexican : literally 'fat Mexican'; refers to the club logo
• God Forgives Bandidos Don't : German 'God forgives, the Bandidos don't'; a bandidos slogan
• LL&R : "Love, Loyalty & Respect"; a bandidos slogan
• PBOL : "Proud Bandido Old Lady", is worn by friends of the Bandidos members
• Our colors don't run : German ' Our colors don't run ', the wearer of the patch has proven itself in a situation in which other people fled.
• SYLB : "Support your local Bandidos"; a bandidos slogan
• We are the people our parents warned us about : German ' We are the people our parents warned us about '; a bandidos slogan

America

The motorcycle club has around 900 members in the United States who are organized into around 93 formally independent groups called chapters . The Texan authorities have placed the group at the second highest level of threat to public safety. In 2013 the FBI established a link between the Los Angeles chapter and the Los Zetas drug cartel in Mexico . Police spoke of one after a shooting at a mall in Waco , Texas, on May 17, 2015, involving around 200 members from five different motorcycle groups, including the Bandidos, which left 9 dead and 18 injured beginning gang war in Texas. The Bandidos are counted among the important groups, while all other participants are only of local importance.

In 2011 there was a certain split in the club when the bandidos from North America partly distanced themselves from the bandidos from Europe, Asia and Australia. The Bandidos from North America called themselves "Bandidos Western Hemisphere" and appeared with new patches that had the same colors and names, but were created in a different font and with a different Bandido as the center patch. It is believed that this was due to differing opinions regarding club policy.

Proximity to crime

Because of the proven closeness of individual members to organized crime , the Bandidos MC is listed in the reports on the protection of the constitution of those federal states in which the authority for the protection of the constitution observes organized crime. In addition, the Bandidos were mentioned in the 2006 report for the protection of the constitution in Baden-Württemberg because they rented out their former clubhouse in Mannheim-Rheinau in spring 2005 for a total of eight right-wing extremist concerts.

According to the Federal Criminal Police Office , there were nine OC preliminary investigations related to the Bandidos in 2010.

On April 29, 2010, the Probationary Chapter Neumünster ( Schleswig-Holstein ) was banned by the interior minister there, Klaus Schlie (CDU).

On April 26, 2012, NRW Interior Minister Ralf Jäger banned the Aachen chapter and the supporter clubs Chicanos MC Chapter Aachen, Chicanos MC Chapter Alsdorf, Chicanos MC Chapter Düren, Club X-Team MC Aachen and Diablos MC Heinsberg. At the same time there were raids in the clubhouse in Alsdorf and in more than 30 apartments and business premises in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate . Special units were also in action.

On April 15, 2021, the “Bandidos Motorcycleclub Hohenlimburg / Witten ” chapter and its sub-organization “Los Compadres Hagen ” were banned and dissolved by North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul . In the morning hours, 488 police officers, including special units and riot police , searched 18 objects in Hagen and 10 in other cities such as Lünen , Dortmund and Lüdenscheid . The ban is a consequence of the "Hagen Rocker War" between the Bandidos, the Hells Angels and the Freeway Riders , which resulted in numerous crimes - including shootings on the street, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm - particularly in 2018.

On July 12, 2021, Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer banned the “Bandidos MC Federation West Central”. The ban was preceded by raids on July 1, 2021 in 104 properties in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia.

Rivalry with the Hells Angels

There are often clashes between the Bandidos and the Hells Angels . The press often speaks of a "rocker war" in this context.

In the first half of 2008, a trial against members of the Bandidos was brought before the Münster Regional Court because they allegedly shot a member of the Hells Angels in Ibbenbüren . Because of the known hostility between the two groups, there was a large number of police officers with identity checks on the first day of the negotiations. After the first day of the negotiation there was a fight between about 40 members of both groups. On June 10, 2008, the judgment was announced at the Münster Regional Court. Both defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment for collective insidious murder . In view of the available evidence , the court found the perpetrators to have committed the two defendants as proven. The defense had demanded acquittal. The police secured the verdict with about 1000 police officers.

In November 2008, a case was heard before the Cottbus Regional Court in which a Bandidos member was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for drug trafficking and an irritant gas attack on a member of the Hells Angels. In December 2008, several members of the Hells Angels were charged with an attack on the Bandidos before the Hanover Regional Court . In 2009, the Bandidos member Rudi Heinz Elten was shot dead on the street by a Hells Angels candidate. As a result, there were violent arguments.

In July 2011, several bandidos from Weimar / Jena were convicted of attempted murder, serious bodily harm and burglary at the Erfurt Regional Court. This also referred to a knife attack on a member of the Hells Angels in December 2009.

At Whitsun 2010, at a public press conference in Hanover, the two rival clubs decided that coexistence should be possible from now on and that the dispute would be settled. The police union and politicians at the federal level consider these statements to be a tactic to mask criminal machinations and divert attention from further criminal activities such as human and drug trafficking.

Rivalry with Rock Machine

In Ulm and Neu-Ulm there were several arguments between supporters of the Rock Machine and the chapter of the Bandidos, which is based in Ulm.

literature

• Peter Maczollek, Leslav home: Pretty bad friends: How we founded the Bandidos in Germany . 1st edition. riva Verlag , Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-86883-288-4 .
• Arthur Veno: The Mammoth Book of Bikers . Constable & Robinson, 2007 ISBN 0-7867-2046-8 .
• Janez Ekart: Hated by Most - Loved by Few , BoD Verlag, 2021 ISBN 3753478679

Web links

Commons : Bandidos  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website
• TV documentary by NDR ( Memento from June 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
• National Gang Report 2013 US government report on gang crime
• Dennis Bock, On the criminal liability of wearing (modified) cowls by members of banned motorcycle clubs

Individual evidence

1. ↑ National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations - 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment ( Memento from December 22, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
2. ↑ ^{a b} Waco shootout: who are the Bandidos motorcycle gang? In: The Guardian , May 18, 2015, accessed May 19, 2015
3. ↑ Biker News - Tomorrow in force: Color ban for Bandidos, Gremium and Hells Angels
4. ↑ Focus Online - Symbol ban for eight rocker groups in force
5. ↑ Biker News - Bandidos have a new patch
6. ↑ landtag.nrw.de, Small Inquiry 1488 of January 26, 2012 (PDF; 245 kB) Printed matter 15/4239 (accessed on March 13, 2012)
7. ↑ Bandidos MC - Countries
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Bandidos MC Sweden - Red & Gold Family
9. ↑ Kleinanfraen - Printed matter 6/1932 Thuringian Landtag
10. ^ Volksstimme - raid in Saxony-Anhalt's rocker milieu
11. ↑ ^{a b} Rocker Blog - Territorial dispute between Hells Angels and Bandidos
12. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Berlin Street - Bandits become angels
13. ↑ WAZ - 300 Bandidos honor shot rocker "Eschli" in Gelsenkirchen
14. ↑ Rocker Blog - Bandidos in Menden are planning a party
15. ↑ Berliner Morgenpost - Berlin rockers discover the surrounding area
16. ↑ Bandidos MC Finland - Red & Gold
17. ↑ flickriver - motoraduno Cangaceiros Mc Italy
18. ↑ Compadres MC Norway - Official website
19. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Onepercenter-Bikers - Bandidos MC Enemies / Allies
20. ↑ Holsteinischer Courier - We're not talking about the crochet club
21. ↑ Rocker Blog - Bandidos Oldenburg now Frozen
22. ↑ WAZ - Bandidos supporters of "Crew 45" appeared in frocks at the Rü Festival
23. ↑ Chaosbiker - Saxony-Anhalt
24. ↑ ^{a b} LKA 42 AE Berlin - Introduction to the Rocker Scene (Presentation)
25. ↑ Fiebre de Muerte MC Grosseto - History ( Memento of August 3, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
26. ↑ Gringos MC - Official Site
27. ↑ Guardians MC - Official Site '
28. ↑ Biker News - supporters, migrants, street gangs
29. ↑ ^{a b c d e} How the Hells Angels conquered Germany's underworld
30. ↑ ^{a b} Berliner Morgenpost - Notorious rockers take over non-profit association
31. ↑ Bandidos MC Essen - News and current entry from 03/15/2008 08:56
32. ↑ ^{a b} Regensburg-Digital - The benevolent deal with the key witness
33. ↑ Bandidos MC - Burapa Bike Week 2010
34. ↑ The West - The dispute between rockers and local residents escalated
35. ↑ Rocker Blog - Hells Angels - The International of Rockers
36. ↑ Biker News - Special Crew Iron City
37. ↑ End station on the right - "Brotherhoods" with brown spots
38. ↑ Tag24 - That's why there are no more bandidos in Saxony
39. ↑ Osnabrücker Zeitung - Bramscher X-Team member is said to have pushed MC committee bikers off the road
40. ↑ RPONLINE - Raid: Bandidos Chapter Aachen prohibited
41. ↑ From: Ein Bandido unpacks, http://www.derwesten.de/wr/Ein-Bandido-packt-aus-id70090.html
42. ↑ quoted from xtranews.de http://www.xtranews.de/2010/03/19/interne-polizeipapiere-belegen-rockergruppen-noch-gefaehrlicher-als-bisher-known/
43. ↑ Bandidos in Oldenburg - Insights before the end (13:25)
44. ↑ DR.dk - Bandidos delt på verdensplan
45. ^ Constitutional Protection Report Baden-Württemberg 2006, p. 135
46. ↑ Federal Criminal Police Office: Federal Situation Report for Organized Crime 2010, page 19 ( download ( Memento from October 14, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) [PDF, 274kB])
47. ↑ Hells Angels and Bandidos banned in the north Stern.de, April 29, 2010
48. ↑ NRW Interior Minister Jäger forbids rocker gang. The West , April 26, 2012, accessed April 26, 2012 . 
49. ^ Raid on the Bandidos - Aachen rocker club is banned Welt.de, April 26, 2012
50. ↑ Interior Minister Herbert Reul forbids Bandidos Hohenlimburg / Witten and Los Compadres Hagen. Retrieved April 15, 2021 . 
51. ↑ Hagen: Giant rocker raid after "Bandidos" ban - SEK in action. Retrieved April 15, 2021 . 
52. ↑ DerWesten- derwesten.de: NRW: Bandidos shot at opponents - escalation in the Hagen rocker war has consequences. July 18, 2020, accessed April 15, 2021 . 
53. ↑ The trial of the "rocker war" in Hagen surprisingly failed. Retrieved April 15, 2021 . 
54. ↑ Seehofer dissolves “Bandidos MC Federation West Central”. Retrieved July 12, 2021 . 
55. ↑ Article on welt.de
56. ↑ n-tv article
57. ↑ Rocker process: I am released to be shot. Spiegel Online, March 4, 2008, accessed March 20, 2012 . 
58. ↑ Murder Trial: Deployment of the Rocker Armies. Spiegel Online , December 17, 2007, accessed March 20, 2012 . 
59. Jump up ↑ Rocker Murder Trial: Life sentence for two members of the Bandidos. Spiegel Online, June 10, 2008, accessed March 20, 2012 . 
60. ↑ Rocker verdict: Bandido has to be imprisoned for three and a half years. Spiegel Online, November 24, 2008, accessed March 20, 2012 . 
61. ↑ Suspended sentences for almost all "Hells Angels" - www.ndr.de ( Memento from December 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
62. ↑ Sebastian Beck: Like with like. Süddeutsche Zeitung , May 17, 2010, accessed April 30, 2013 . 
63. ↑ Ex- "Bandido" sentenced to life in Erfurt. Leipziger Volkszeitung, July 22, 2018, accessed on June 16, 2021 . 
64. ↑ Police arrest ex-club boss of the Bandidos. Spiegel Online, May 6, 2010, accessed June 16, 2021 . 
65. ↑ Augsburger Allgemeine: Video: Rocker War in Neu-Ulm and Ulm? Retrieved April 9, 2013