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The Mongols MC are an outlaw motorcycle club based out of Southern California. Originally a 15-member club in Montebello, they have since expanded to around 2,000 members in 14 states and 10 countries other than the USA. Their main rival is the Hell's Angels, and they are allied with the Bandidos and Outlaws.
History
The Mongols' first chapter was founded in 1969 and was named for the tribe led by Genghis Khan that conquered much of Europe and Asia. They began as six men who had been rejected from the Hells Angels because they were Hispanic. Like other 1 percenter motorcycle clubs, the Mongols were made up of war veterans looking for camaraderie similar to what they experienced in the military.
As the Mongols spread across California, they came into conflict with the Hells Angels over the right to display the state's name on their vests. By the late 1970s this turf war turned deadly with both Mongols and Angels being killed. Eventually, the Mongols agreed to stay out of Northern California, in exchange for being allowed to wear California patches. In turn, the Angels agreed to stay out of Southern California.
The conflict surfaced again in 2001 as the Mongols, growing in numbers, opened a chapter in San Jose, which, due to being in Northern California, was off-limits according to the truce. It culminated in the River Run Riot, where one Mongol and two Angels were killed.
Criminal activities
Like many other outlaw motorcycle gangs, they engage in illegal activities in order to fund the biker lifestyle. These include arms trafficking, drug trafficking, motorcycle theft, and pimping.
In 2004, an incident related to drug manufacturing resulted in the Mongols coming into conflict with the Mexican Mafia.