The Hells Angels have filed suit over the government's bar on letting foreign members enter the United States, CNN reported Monday.
The group claims the U.S. government has violated both immigration law and the Constitution by dubbing the Hells Angels a "known criminal organization."
Despite its tough name, the Hells Angels claims it's just a group "of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, organize social events, fundraisers, parties and motorcycle rallies," according to the CNN report.
So, why does the government believe those motorcyclists are also criminals? We decided to take a look at the alleged criminal past of the notorious motorcycle group to find out.
An "outlaw motorcycle gang" that operates around the world.
The Hells Angels have just roughly 2,500 members.
But the group has 230 chapters in the U.S., operates in 26 countries, and poses a threat on six continents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The group is tied to drug trafficking, money laundering, and other criminal offenses.
The Angels were formed in 1948, getting their name from bold World War II bomber pilots, according to the History Channel.
They began getting a rough reputation after one of their members killed a spectator at a 1969 Rolling Stones concert just a few feet away from Mick Jagger, the History Channel noted.
A two-year government sting led to the arrest of 19 Hells Angels in South Carolina.
In June, the FBI announced that it had arrested 19 people tied to a South Carolina Hells Angels outfit called the Rock Hell City Nomad Chapter.
They were accused of racketeering, money laundering, and other crimes. Authorities said they seized methamphetamine, cocaine, and 100 automatic weapons as part of the investigation.
A former Hells Angels chapter president was convicted of massive mortgage fraud in January.
Former Sonoma County, Calif. Hells Angels chapter leader Raymond Foakes was sentenced to nearly six years in prison in January for his role in a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud.
Foakes got caught falsifying mortgage applications so he could buy land he never intended to live on, the FBI said. Instead, he wanted to use the property to grow marijuana, the feds claimed.
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