The Norse god of mischief and the rise of the Green Nation
In short: Born in the late 1960s in San Bernardino, the Vagos Motorcycle Club has expanded from a local California group into a global network. Known for their green insignia and the image of Loki, this organization operates across continents, leaving a complex trail of law enforcement raids and high-profile legal battles.
The Vagos, also known as the Green Nation, originated in San Bernardino, California, during the late 1960s. The club's visual identity is deeply rooted in Norse mythology; their central patch features a muscle-bound, red-colored caricature of Loki, the god of mischief, riding a motorcycle against a green field. This imagery was originally created by a member of the Berdoo chapter while incarcerated. The club's name, 'Vago,' is Spanish for wanderer or vagabond, and members often wear green, sometimes including the number 22 to represent the 22nd letter of the alphabet, 'V'.
While law enforcement classifies the Vagos as a second-tier outlaw motorcycle gang—ranking below the 'Big Four'—their reach is vast. The club maintains approximately 5,000 members across 200 chapters. Their presence spans numerous US states, including California, Arizona, and Nevada, and extends internationally to Mexico, Europe (with chapters in Germany, Ireland, France, and Belgium), and parts of Central and South America. In 2023, the group was even identified as one of five major gangs operating in Thailand.
The club's history is marked by intense conflict with authorities. In March 2010, a massive multi-state raid involving 400 officers targeted 73 locations in Southern California following allegations of booby traps intended to harm police. Although the club later successfully sued Riverside County for defamation—resulting in a 2011 settlement that cleared them of involvement in specific attacks on the Hemet Gang Task Force—the group remains a focus of major operations like 'Operation 22 Green' in 2006, which led to the arrest of 25 members and the seizure of illegal firearms and drugs.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Vagos Motorcycle Club
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