A BBC investigation has revealed that members of a US biker gang with a history of hostility towards Islam have been running security at aid distribution sites in Gaza, where hundreds of civilians have died in chaotic and violent scenes.
The probe confirmed the identities of 10 members of the Infidels Motorcycle Club (MC) working for UG Solutions (UGS), a private security contractor overseeing Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid sites. Seven gang members are reportedly in senior roles, including site supervisors and logistics leads.
UG Solutions defended its hiring practices, saying it does not exclude individuals based on “personal hobbies or affiliations unrelated to job performance.” GHF, meanwhile, said it maintains a “zero-tolerance policy for hateful or discriminatory conduct.”
Infidels MC was founded by US military veterans of the Iraq War in 2006 and openly embraces anti-Muslim imagery, using the Crusader cross as its emblem. The gang has previously hosted pig roasts during Ramadan “in defiance” of the holy month and regularly shares anti-Muslim rhetoric online.
The gang’s leader, Johnny “Taz” Mulford, a former US Army sergeant once disciplined for conspiracy and theft, is the “country team leader” for UGS in Gaza. He accidentally confirmed the involvement of Infidels MC members when he mistakenly included the BBC in an internal email chain, revealing names of biker gang members deployed in Gaza.
Among the senior gang members identified at Gaza aid sites are:
- Larry “J-Rod” Jarrett, Infidels MC vice-president, overseeing logistics.
- Bill “Saint” Siebe, national treasurer, leading security at one GHF “safe distribution site.”
- Richard “A-Tracker” Lofton, a founding member, serving as team leader at another aid site.
Social media posts show UG Solutions contractors posing in Gaza with a banner reading “Make Gaza Great Again.” One leader, Josh Miller, advertised his clothing line featuring slogans such as “Embrace Violence” and “Surf all day, rockets all night. Gaza Summer 25.” Miller, who has “Crusader” tattooed across his fingers, also posted content glorifying gun violence.
A BBC review of confidential documents and testimony from former UGS contractors suggests around 40 of the 320 contractors in Gaza are Infidels MC members. Team leaders at the aid sites are paid up to $1,580 (£1,160) a day, compared to $980 (£720) for regular contractors.
CAIR, the US Muslim civil rights group, strongly condemned the situation. Edward Ahmed Mitchell, its deputy director, said: “Putting the Infidels biker club in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza is like putting the KKK in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Sudan. It makes no sense whatsoever. It’s bound to lead to violence, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen happen in Gaza.”
The Infidels MC Facebook page remains active, hosting Islamophobic comments and posts referencing the Crusades. Its leader Mulford, along with other senior figures, have tattoos and merchandise glorifying “1095” – the year the First Crusade began.
UG Solutions insists all its contractors undergo background checks. However, its chief executive Jameson Govoni was recently arrested in North Carolina for fleeing police after a hit-and-run incident. Govoni declined to comment when approached by the BBC.
Rights groups say the use of Infidels MC members in Gaza raises serious questions about bias, safety, and the ethics of outsourcing humanitarian security to private firms.