Apparently every member of the Bakersfield Hells Angels chapter was arrested in an early Tuesday morning raid of eight different Southern California locations, conducted by 150 various law enforcement officers.
At first, this CBS News reports sounds like a blockbuster raid by federal, state, and local law enforcement officials: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) arrested the entire Bakersfield Hells chapter of the Hells Angels Tuesday morning in an operation that involved 150 law enforcement officers, swarming eight Southern California locations. Per the ATF, they “seized approximately 25 firearms, ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines, and gang affiliate paraphernalia.”
Hells Angels president, vice-president & entire Bakersfield Chapter of Hells Angels arrested in early morning sweep. Approx 25 firearms, high-capacity magazines, ammo & gang affiliate paraphernalia seized. https://t.co/6Ytpd5zdL7 @ATFSanFrancisco @KernCoSheriff @CHP_HQ
— ATF Los Angeles (@LosAngelesATF) June 25, 2024
Yet this massive-sounding roundup of the “entire Bakersfield Chapter of Hells Angels” yielded only six arrests. A seventh motorcycle gang member was also charged, but that suspect was already in custody on other charges.
“Ricardo Alvarez, 42, of Bakersfield, Armando Villasenor, 55, of Bakersfield, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, of Bakersfield, Joseph Soto Jr., 33, of Bakersfield, Joshua Zavala, 31, of Bakersfield, and John Seeger, 57, of Bakersfield, were all arrested early this morning,” the ATF said in a Tuesday press release. “Joshua Vaughn, 37, of Bakersfield, was already in custody on other charges.”
Five of those men are patched members of the Hells Angels Bakersfield chapter. Two are members of the Sons Of Hell Motorcycle Club, which is considered to take orders from the Hells Angels.
The release makes no specific mention of the larger crime of which these men are accused of engineering. According to CBS News, “Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further information was provided.”
That said, all seven suspects face the exact same charges. All seven are charged with kidnapping, first degree robbery, making criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, criminal conspiracy, intimidating a witness or victim, and elder abuse.
This comes on the heels of last year’s Sonoma County Hells Angels sentencings over marijuana grow robberies, and a murder followed by a gruesome cremation.
Five Hells Angels from the San Francisco chapter of the group were also arrested in November 2022 in connection with a June 2022 killing of a man during a concert at Shoreline Amphitheater.
Related: Two More Sonoma County Hells Angels Sentenced to Prison on Racketeering Charges [SFist]
Image: Kern County Sheriff’s Office
