Highlights
– The NLR is a notoriously violent, racist gang that operates both actively in the open and in prison
– While the gang is not as active as it was during its peak years, it has maintained its criminal activities and will continue to pose problems for authorities in the long-term
The Nazi Low Riders (NLR), a notoriously violent, racist gang that operates both on suburban streets and in prison, has suffered several setbacks in recent years due to arrests of key members and increased awareness by local law enforcement. While the group is no longer as active as it was during its peak years in the late 1990s to early 2000s, it remains active , and will continue to pose problems for local officials and communities in the long-term.
Origins
The NLR first emerged in the mid-1970s as a group of young white supremacists based at a youth correctional facility in Preston, California. Shortly thereafter, the Aryan Brotherhood (AB) began to recruit members of the NLR to serve as middlemen for its operations due to a crackdown by US authorities that isolated AB members in prison from other inmates and thereby limited its activities (Previous Report). Following the formation of this partnership, the NLR quickly established itself as a prominent white supremacist gang in California.
Criminal Activities and Other Violence
While the NLR has a significant focus on criminal profit, members of the gang have also been involved in numerous racist attacks since its formation, which are frequently carried out to show dedication to the White race and to gain status within the organization. For example, in 1996, two NLR members attacked a black teenager in Lancaster, California, reportedly in an effort to, “rid the streets,” of all African Americans.
However, the NLR is primarily involved in the production and trafficking of methamphetamine. Members of the gang construct makeshift “meth labs” wherever possible, and are believed to work with motorcycle gangs to widely distribute the drug. The NLR frequently uses female members to supply addicts with drugs, and then often forces these individuals to carry out crimes for the gang through intimidation.
Crackdown by Authorities
In the late 1990s, law enforcement authorities in California began to note the continued growth of the NLR, both in membership and in criminal activities, and subsequently launched the multi-agency Nazi Low Rider Task Force in 1999. Over the course of several years, the task force succeeded in apprehending over 200 members of the gang on charges ranging from drug trafficking to murder. Then, in February 2002, a federal grand jury in California indicted 12 prominent members of the gang on racketeering charges.
Additionally, in 2000, law enforcement officials reclassified the group as a prison-based gang, which allowed authorities to automatically place known members in solitary confinement units once they were booked in prison, limiting their abilities to contact members on the outside.
While the crackdown by authorities succeeded in reducing violence and other criminal operations carried out by the gang, attacks and criminal activities by members have continued both in and outside of prison. The NLR has also begun to make alliances with other white supremacist groups, such as Public Enemy Number 1 (Previous Report), which can assist the gang in maintaining or increasing its drug trafficking operations.
Activities Will Likely Continue
Despite the setbacks sustained by the NLR over the years, the gang has maintained its regular activities, and will likely continue to do so in the long-term. Examples of NLR activities following the initial crackdown include:
– In April 2003, three NLR members were arrested for the murder of a bisexual man in Salinas, California.
– In March 2003, an NLR member was involved in a shootout with police at a Wal-Mart in Ukiah, California. While the member was killed, authorities located five pipe bombs in his car.
Additionally, while the NLR has traditionally operated in California, in recent years members have also been identified in Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico, and as far away as Florida and Illinois. Police have stated that in these cases, younger members recently released from prison have moved eastward in an attempt to expand the gang’s presence throughout the country.
While other more prominent white supremacist gangs have emerged, the NLR will likely continue to pose challenges to law enforcement officials, particularly on the West coast. Further, if the NLR is able to successfully form alliances with other racist gangs, its activities (specifically those related to the drug trade) may expand once again.
