The brazen midday Sunday Texas shootout between dozens of motorcycle gang members shined a bright light on the seedy underbelly of outlaw biker gangs. At least one crew involved, the Bandidos, is an international gang considered on the same threat level as the Crips, Bloods and Aryan Brotherhood, according to a Texas public safety gang assessment. They’d been on the verge of war for months with the Cossacks, another, smaller crew that had recently made a move for increased turf and respect in Texas. The nine people killed in the Waco parking lot carnage all belonged to two gangs, the Cossacks and Bandidos, police said. Another 18 people were injured and cops arrested 170 people. The Bandidos are fiercly protective of the Texas patch and reportedly attacked Cossack members who flew the flag on their vests. A total of five different gangs were involved in the melee, Waco cops said. Here’s what we know about the Bandidos and Cossacks. –The Bandidos proudly flaunt themselves as a “one percenter” outlaw club.

The boast comes from an old quote by the American Motorcycle Association, which claimed in the 1960s that 99% of bikers were law abiders - leaving one percent to wreak havoc. Outlaw clubs, including the Hells Angels, have historically worn the label as a badge of honor. Members of the Cossacks are rounded up and held for questioning by the police Sunday following the carnage. OUTRAGE AS WACO, TEXAS BIKER FIGHT IS COMPARED TO BALTIMORE –Bandidos have more than 2,000 members among more than 90 chapters in the U.S., Canada, Europe and around the world in 13 different countries, according to the FBI. The group is known to traffick in cocaine and marijuana, and produce and sell meth. Bandidos operate in at least 16 states, from Alabama to Nebraska and Wyoming. They’re most active in the “Pacific, Southeastern, Southwestern and the West Central regions of the U.S.,” according to the Department of Justice. “The Bandidos are expanding in each of these regions by forming additional chapters and allowing members of supporting clubs, known as ‘puppet’ or ‘duck’ club members who have sworn allegiance to another club but who support and do the ‘dirty work’ of a mother club - to form new or join existing Bandidos chapters.”

The Bandidos and Cossacks were two of five gangs that converged Sunday on Twin Peaks in Waco, Texas.1925 henderson motorcycle for sale –In Texas, the Bandidos, formed in the 1960s, avoid high-profile crimes “such as drive by shootings that many street gangs tend to commit,” according to the state DPS. ural motorcycles for sale ebay uk“However, members are not covert about making their presence known by wearing the gang colors, insignia, and riding in large groups. motorbike for sale hueThey seek to turn public sentiment in their favor by organizing frequent charity runs. Bandidos are likely to focus on recruiting new members with no criminal history.” WACO SHOOTOUT AMONG WORST IN BIKER GANG VIOLENCE HISTORY Authorities say that the shootout victims were members of rival biker gangs that had gathered for a meeting.

–Cossacks are not mentioned in the state gang assessment, but according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by WFAA-TV, the group was working to grow its presence in Texas by eating into the Bandidos turf. The group had recently "started wearing the Texas patch on the bottom rocker of their vests without the approval of the Bandidos," the bulletin said. "Traditionally, the Bandidos have been the dominant motorcycle club in Texas and no other club is allowed to wear the Texas bar without their consent. If the club refuses, Bandidos members will attempt to remove the vest by force from the member." Such actions led to several attacks, assaults and robberies, according to police, who feared the two factions were on the verge of a full-out war. –The Cossacks were reportedly in talks to ally with the Hells Angels, a big time Bandidos rival, according to Vox. And the Bandidos, who have historically run the state of Texas, took is as a slap in the face, according to Vox. “We knew the tensions with the Cossacks were as high as they’ve ever been,” Steve Cook, the executive director of the Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association, told the website.

“I don’t think anybody could have forecast it to the degree that it happened.” –Nearly 30 members of the Bandidos were indicted in 2009 in Lubbock, Texas, for trafficking meth from Modesto, Calif., to Texas. Another sting, in 2011, swept up Bandidos members in Denver, Colo., Dallas, San Antonio and Austin on charges of trafficking meth and cocaine, according to the FBI. –The president of the Abilene chapter of the Bandidos was arrested in November 2013 for stabbing two members of the Cossacks MC. Curtis Jack Lewis, 46, was wearing a shirt emblazoned with his Bandidos name and has a “Bandidos MC Property” sign on his motorcycle, according to KTAB-TV.This Twitter widget is not viewable on this device.Decorated vet among bikers killed in WacoOne of nine bikers killed at a shootout outside a Texas restaurant was a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient whose family members dispute police claims he was in a criminal group. • Photos• Bandidos: Website | Facebook5 things you need to know• Cossacks: Facebook5 things you need to knowHow the Bandidos became one of the world’s most feared biker gangsWashington Post: The Waco shootout is the latest and perhaps goriest chapter in a long history of violence involving motorcycle gangs in the United States. 

The Bandidos, like their more popularly known archrivals the Hells Angels, are frequent characters in that blood-soaked book. The group is generally considered the world’s second-largest biker gang, behind the Angels, with as many as 2,500 members in 13 countries, according to the Department of Justice. This chart is not viewable on this device.Former undercover agent explains what's behind the Waco biker gang shootoutVox: Texas is an emerging battleground for outlaw motorcycle gangs, said Steve Cook, executive director of the Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association. The Gang's All HereSkip Hollandsworth for Texas Monthly: When a beloved brother died last summer, more than four hundred bikers thundered into San Antonio for his funeral. As they swapped stories about the old days and guzzled beer, one message could be heard over the roar of their Harleys: Bandidos forever. (2007)• Interview: Hollandsworth talks about intimidation, stereotypes and the Bandidos, one of the most notorious biker gangs in TexasNever Love a BandidoDick Reavis for Texas Monthly: Big Jim's motorcycle gang was the toughest in Texas, but that wasn't stopping someone from picking them off one by one.

Big Jim's woman begged him to leave the gang. She said he was bound to get hurt. A brief history of 'outlaw' motorcycle clubsWilliam L. Dulaney: This article extends current research by reaching back nearly half a century before 1947 to link the dawn of motorcycle organizations with the present reality of outlaw motorcycle clubs. Angels, Bandidos, Outlaws, and PagansJames F. Quinn: This paper outlines the evolution of the Big Four one percent motorcycle clubs—Hell’s Angels, Bandidos, Outlaws, and Pagans—from near-groups to well-organized criminal confederations. Department of Justice: There are more than 300 active OMGs within the United States, ranging in size from single chapters with five or six members to hundreds of chapters with thousands of members worldwide.Texas Gang Threat AssessmentTexas Department of Public Safety: This assessment updates the previous Texas Gang Threat Assessment released in April 2013, and serves as the annual evaluation of the gang threat in Texas. While many of the underlying trends and characteristics of gang activity have not changed substantially since last year, this report includes relevant updates and detailed information on several key aspects of gang activity.