The Bandido's Intimidating Presence On U.S. Highways A violent war for control of illicit drugs and weapons leaves a deadly trail of bullets and blood across highways in the U.S. Southwest. It started eight years ago in a hail of gunfire between the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang and the Cossacks at the Twin Peaks Restaurant in Waco, Texas. The violence escalated starting in May of 2023, leaving dead bodies on an interstate highway in Texas, at a biker bar in Oklahoma City, and at a once peaceful bike rally in New Mexico. There's no sign of tempers and the rivalry cooling off anytime soon. The Bandidos stand to lose a lot and are fighting to hold on to their turf. They are not Hollywood's romanticized version of the Sons of Anarchy. The Justice Department considers the Bandidos one of the eight most dangerous motorcycle gangs in the U.S. A gang threat assessment by the Texas Department of Public Safety ranked the Bandidos as a "Tier 2" gang — or the second-most dangerous classificat