1 of 6 | Some 25 firearms were seized by law enforcement Tuesday as they executed eight search warrants in Bakersfield, Calif. Photo courtesy of Kern County Sheriff's Office/Facebook
June 26 (UPI) -- Authorities in California have arrested the entire Bakersfield chapter of the infamous Hells Angels motorcycle gang on various charges, including kidnaping. The sheriff's office for Kern County, located north of Los Angeles, announced the law enforcement action in a statement, saying six members of the gang were arrested Tuesday morning, with a seventh member already being in police custody.
Little about what prompted the arrests was released to the public, but the office said if followed a joint investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kern County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol.
The alleged gang members have been charged with kidnapping, first-degree robbery, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, criminal conspiracy and other offenses.
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Some 25 firearms, ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines and gang-affiliate paraphernalia were seized during the execution of eight search warrants throughout Bakersfield on Tuesday, it said.
The sheriff's office identified the suspects as Rocardo Alvarez, 42, Armando Villasenor, 55, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, Joseph Soto Jr., 33, Joshua Zavala, 31, John Seeger, 57, and Joshua Vaughn, 37.
Jail records for the defendants posted online by the Kern County Sheriff's Office state that the majority are being held at the Lerdo Justice Facility, except for Vaughn who was already in police custody on Tuesday. His jail record states he is at the Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility.
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The majority were given a bail amount of $800,000, expect for Vaughn, who was facing 13 offenses and whose bail was set at $670,000, and Zavala, who is facing 15 offenses and whose bail amount was set at more than $1 million.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office identified Alvarez, Villasenor, Soto Sr., Soto Jr. and Zavala as "active, patched members" of the Bakersfield chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. Vaughn and Seeger were described as members of the Sons of Hell Motorcycle Club, which takes orders and directions from the other group.
The Justice Department has listed the Hells Angels as an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, which are groups that use their motorcycle clubs to conduct criminal enterprises.
There are more than 300 active OMGs, the Justice Department said, while stating that the Hells Angels was among those that "pose a serious national domestic threat."
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