Leaders of the infamous Bandidos biker gang are facing federal racketeering charges after an indictment from the U.S. attorney's office accused them of waging a "war" on rival motorcycle group, the Cossacks Motorcycle Club, according to The Guardian.
The Bandidos leaders have been accused of using "murder, attempted murder, assault, intimidation, extortion and drug trafficking" to protect their power. All three of those on trial were charged with one count of racketeering and one count of violent crimes in aid of racketeering.
Both the Bandidos and the Cossacks were involved in a confrontation in Waco, Texas in 2015, where a meeting of biker clubs at a Twin Peaks restaurant led to nine deaths and police intervention, according to the Associated Press. A Bandidos leader allegedly told injured survivors from other gangs "this is our town... If you come back, I will kill you," Express News noted.
Among those on trial is John Portillo, the national vice president of the Bandidos, who is accused of raising dues to pay legal expenses immediately after the shooting. National president Jeffrey Pike and sergeant-at-arms Justin Forster are also charged with crimes related to distribution of drugs and racketeering.
"This really is an all-our war we got going on," Portillo allegedly told members of the gang after a number of fights regarding turf wars in Texas, the Daily Mail reported. The indictment holds the three men responsible for the shootings, assaults and stabbings of the Cossack members and for sanctioning a war between the different gangs.
If convicted, each defendant could face a life sentence in prison. A special agent referred to the investigation, which is called Operation Texas Rocker, as a "debilitating blow" to the Bandidos' leadership, The Guardian noted.
