02x04 - Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

(g*nshots)

REPORTER: A wild sh**t‐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 k*lling was allegedly
part of an ongoing turf w*r,

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.

g*ng, g*ng, g*ng.

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 m*rder?
STEWART: What about it?

VAN ZELLER: That you guys
have been involved in m*rder.

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 g*ng 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 sh**ting.

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 g*ng.

OFFICIAL: An ill*gal 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,
as*ault, abduction, and m*rder.

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
w*r 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 w*r.

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 g*ng.

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 g*ng.

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 k*lled
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 A*F,

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 g*ng,

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 k*lling 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
g*ng 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 A*F'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, A*F'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 g*ng,

the US attorney
announced a major sweep

and takedown of the Mongols.

He called them a violent
criminal enterprise.

CICCONE:
We convicted the g*ng.

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, sh**t on sight.

The Mongols have k*lled three
Hells Angels in the last month.

VAN ZELLER: No way.

CICCONE: There was
a sh**ting here,

and then Denver was a m*rder,
Indiana a m*rder,

Cleveland, Ohio a m*rder.

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
g*nshots and a Mongol was

stabbed to death.

(g*nshots)

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 g*ng members do.

VAN ZELLER:
Ciccone explains how the clubs
encourage these rivalries.

CICCONE: If you confront
another rival g*ng member,

you get a Respect Few,
Fear None patch.

You know, it's a badge of honor.

If you're involved in
a sh**ting or a m*rder,

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 g*ng, we all
know what comes with that.

Violence, drug trafficking,
firearms trafficking, assaults,

murders, shootings.

And they operate just
like a street g*ng.

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 A*F 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 k*lled.

REPORTER: Investigators
say multiple people

riding motorcycles were
involved in a sh**ting.

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
ill*gal 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 sh**ting
and k*lling 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 g*ng 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 r*fle.

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 k*lled.

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 g*n 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 g*n 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 ill*gal drugs?

(g*nshots)

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 w*r,"

we're going to go to w*r.

VAN ZELLER: To go to w*r,

meaning you'd have
to k*ll 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)