Warrants target firearms trafficking by Hells Angels, others

Jace Radke

Tuesday, July 8, 2003 | 11:22 a.m.

Forty search warrants and 36 arrest warrants were served across the state of Arizona today as part of a two year investigation into firearm and explosive trafficking by members of the Hells Angels and others who are unaffiliated with the motorcycle gang.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokeswoman Marti McKee, said that details of the investigation would be released in Phoenix this afternoon, but added that there may be a connection to the April 2002 gun battle in a Laughlin casino that left two Hells Angels and a Mongol biker dead.

"I can't really comment on that, but I think if you were to attend the press conference later today you'd will find some of the people involved with that (the Laughlin incident) are the same people we're dealing with today," McKee said.

On April 27, 2002, during the Laughlin River Run motorcycle rally, three bikers were killed after a shootout in the casino at Harrah's.

Agents with the Las Vegas office of the ATF and members of the Las Vegas office of the U.S. Marshals Service assisted in serving the warrants in Arizona this morning.

"It was a joint effort by state, local and federal law enforcement, and there were probably more than 500 officers serving the warrants," McKee said.

Warrants were served in Phoenix, Bullhead City, Glendale and other Arizona cities, McKee said.

"At this point I don't know how many people were arrested, but we did seize a pretty good stash of firearms," McKee said from Bullhead City.

She said that because of the sealed nature of court documents relating to the case, many details were unavaliable this morning. Some documents may be unsealed by a 3 p.m. press conference scheduled at the U.S. Attorney's office in Phoenix, McKee said.