Although it may not seem like a hotspot for biker gang activity, North Dakota has had incidents of crime and violence associated with outlaw motorcycle organizations.
Project Safe Neighborhoods reports that the state is home to at least thirty recognized gangs, mostly focused in the areas of Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, and Bismarck. These gangs include Native American, street, prison, motorcycle, and youth groups.
Boys of Quiet
The Sons of Silence, a worldwide outlaw motorcycle organization founded in Colorado in 1966, is one of the most infamous biker gangs in North Dakota. With more than 250 members and operations in 12 states as well as Germany, the club is regarded by the US Department of Justice as a criminal organization.
The Sons of Silence are a well-known criminal organization in North Dakota, especially in the western region where they operate chapters in Minot, Dickinson, Williston, and Mandan. They are involved in illegal operations such drug and weapon trafficking, extortion, and murder.
A worldwide FBI raid in 1999 resulted in 37 arrests and the confiscation of drugs, firearms, and explosives from the Sons of Silence, a gang known for their violent altercations with rival groups such as the Hells Angels, the Outlaws, and the Mongols. Due to a drug debt, two members were found guilty in 2007 of killing a man in Minot.
Indigenous Mob
The Native Mob, a Native American biker gang that operates in several states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North Dakota, is another hazardous biker group in the state. The Native Mob, which was established in the 1990s to defend Native American communities, later got involved in illegal operations such drug distribution, robbery, assault, and murder.
The gang is well-known for its violent altercations with other Native American gangs, including the Native Syndicate and the Native Pride. It is widely distributed throughout North Dakota, particularly on reservations and in places with sizable Native American populations like Fargo and Bismarck.
25 members of the Native Mob were charged with murder, conspiracy, and racketeering at the federal level in 2013. A member of the Native Mob was given a life sentence in 2018 for the murder of a rival gang member in Fargo.
Additional Motorcycle Gangs
Other biker gangs in North Dakota include the Hells Angels, the Pagans, the Outlaws, and the Bandidos, in addition to the Sons of Silence and the Native Mob. Known as “one-percenter” motorcycle clubs, they operate illegally and engage in crimes like as extortion, murder, drug and weapon trafficking, and more.
Although there may not be any permanent branches of these gangs in North Dakota, there have been reports of sporadic trips for events, demonstrations, or territory conflicts. For example, a member of the Hells Angels was detained in Fargo in 2016 for having a gun and methamphetamine.
A member of Pagans was prosecuted in Bismarck in 2017 for allegedly attacking a police officer. An Outlaws member was detained in Minot in 2018 after being found in possession of both cocaine and a gun. A Bandidos member was detained in Grand Forks in 2019 after being found in possession of both a gun and heroin.
In summary
Because they engage in a variety of violent and illegal activities, biker gangs in North Dakota represent a severe threat to public safety and order. These gangs are nonetheless strong and active even as state authorities work to combat the problem through raids, arrests, and convictions. Public awareness of their presence and the risks they pose is essential, as is reporting any questionable or illegal activity to law enforcement.
