The article summarizes a violent biker gang battle that took place in Waco, Texas between rival gangs the Bandidos and Cossacks. Over 200 bikers met at a bar to discuss ongoing feuds, but a fight broke out and escalated into an exchange of gunfire in the parking lot that left 9 bikers dead and 18 injured. Police arrested 192 people and confiscated over 100 weapons. It was considered the worst gang violence Texas has seen in 34 years. Tensions had been building between the two largest gangs, the Bandidos and smaller Cossacks, over territory control and demands of payment. The deadly battle highlighted the criminal aspects of the gangs and ongoing power struggles for dominance in the
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Faithless, Clean
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A star-studded
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Metronomy,
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Price £96
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Germany
19 to 21 June
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Primal Scream
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19 to 21 June
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G
angviolenceleapt
straightfromTV
screenstothestreets
ofWacolastweek,asthebikers
whoinspiredlong-runningTV
dramaSonsOfAnarchytook
partinareal-lifebattle
forterritoryoutsidealocalbar.
Thefightbeganasasmall
fracasinatoiletandbecamea
full-scaleonslaught,asgunfire
wasexchangedbetweenfiveof
Texas’fiercestbikercrews.The
endresultwasninedead,18
injuredand192incustody.
Thisishowitescalated…
Underlying tensions
Foryears,rivalmotorcycle
gangshavebeenateachother’s
throatsforasliceofTexas
territorypie.Historically,the
stateisownedbytheBandidos,
whoexerciseruthlesscontrol
overtheareaandbossthe
productionofcocaineand
crystalmeth.
Butlikeinmostwalksoflife,
thereissomeonelookingto
musclein.Andinthiscase,
arivalgang–theCossacks
–havelookedtostartachapter
inTexas.Thisangeredthe
Bandidos,whodemanded
paymenttoallowtheCossacks
todisplaytheir“bottomrocker”
–thejacketpatchdisplaying
theareayouoperatein.
“Thedevastatingbattle
leftninebikersdead”
The build-up!
Tensionsreachedbreaking
point,andBandidosleader
CurtisJackLewiswasaccused
ofstabbingtworivalsin2013,
whichresultedinaseriesof
beatingsbeingdishedout.
InMarch,10Cossacks
membersforcedaBandidos
riderofftheroadandsetupon
himwithchains,batonsand
metalpipes,beforestealing
hismotorcycle.
ThispromptedtheBandidos
tohatcharevengeplotand
inApril,theFBIreportedmore
than100Bandidosplannedto
traveltoOdessa,Texasinorder
tostartawarwiththelocal
chapterofCossacks.
The battle of
Twin Peaks
Onthemorningof17May,
morethan200rivalbikers
descendedontheTwinPeaks
Bar&Grillforasummitto
discussongoingfeuds.Police
wereinformedofthemeeting,
andwerepositionedoutside–
incaseoftrouble.
By12.15pm,afracashad
brokenoutinthetoilets.
Thingsescalatedasthefight
spilledontothestreetsoutside,
andbikerssetupononeanother
withknivesandchains.Soon
shotsrangoutacrossthecar
park,withfireexchanged
betweenchaptersandthe
police.Thedevastatinggun
battleleftninebikersdead
onthecarpark,andscores
moreinjured.
Asthedustsettled,the
policeswoopedandmade192
arrestsandmoved18injured
bikerstosafety,beforecharging
170moreovertheir
involvementinwhatlocal
officersdescribedas,“the
worstgangviolenceTexas
hasseenin34years”.
Withover100weapons
confiscated,mostlygunsand
knivesbutalsoincluding
AK-47s,thepolicehave
thepainstakingtaskof
interviewingeveryperson
arrestedandheldinMcLennan
CountyJail–eachwitha$1m
bondplacedontheirheads…
The deadly battle for control in Waco, Texas...
The BandidosAmerica’s second-
largest motorcycle
gang, behind the Hells
Angels, who boast
2,500 members across
13 different countries.
The majority are law-
abiding, but the group is
considered a “tier 2” threat by
officials in Texas for crimes
committed across the state.
Outside of America, they also have
a very active rogue element.
The ScimitarsThe smallest gang
involved, they’re allies
of the Cossacks and
are happy to go to war
alongside them – but
are much happier to
make light of their
good deeds. Together, the gangs
built a park for the local
community. The club is, in the
majority, law-abiding, but
members are defecting to the
more violent Cossacks.
The CossacksA much smaller outfit
than their main
Bandidos rivals, but
they refuse to back
down to demands that
they should have to
pay a fee to operate in
Texas – and have been at war
for years as a result. They have
aligned themselves with white
supremacists and the Hells Angels
in order to gain an advantage over
their rivals.
WORDS:JoeBarnes
PICS:Polaris/Eyevine,AP/PressAssociation,Corbis