Volusia sheriff say’s ‘it’s game on now’ in Bike Week shooting case
Pamela Comme WESH TV 2 July 2, 2025
https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-biker-gang-arrests-bike-week-shooting/65279449
A massive law enforcement operation involving the DEA, FBI, and 9 sheriff’s offices across Florida led to the arrests of dozens of biker gang members following a shooting earlier this year in New Smyrna Beach during Bike Week.
The operation began around 5 a.m., with alleged gang members spread out across Florida, and involved hundreds of FBI agents assisting local authorities.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reported that 31 arrest warrants and 16 search warrants were executed, resulting in 28 people, including four in Volusia County, being arrested.
“It’s game on now because there is a treasure trove of evidence,” Chitwood said.
Among those arrested was the chapter president of the Mongols Motorcycle Club in Volusia County, who was taken into custody at his home in Port Orange.
The sheriff noted that he is from South America and lacks permanent legal status.
Another arrested individual was identified as one of the alleged shooters from the March incident, during which rival gangs confronted each other at a gas station in New Smyrna Beach, resulting in a fight with several shots fired.
Two people were injured, but no fatalities occurred. Law enforcement executed 31 arrest warrants, all for aggravated riot — a new felony statute enacted in 2022.
“This isn’t the end. This is the beginning. You are not going to come into my county and think it’s the Wild West and think you’re going to own the streets, OK? For 8 minutes or 10 minutes, you were out there, you owned it. Right now, law enforcement now is on the attack. So bikers beware. We are coming. We are not done,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.
Deputies also searched the Mongol clubhouse, where the gang departed on the day of the shooting after learning their rivals were in New Smyrna Beach.
The sheriff stated that a large number of guns have already been recovered, and with federal involvement, additional federal charges are likely, including felony aggravated riot charges.
The FBI, along with law enforcement partners in Florida and across the country, are working together on ‘Summer heat,’ an effort that is expected to crush violent crime across the summer months. The FBI has a multiple-pronged approach to remove violent gangs and drugs from the streets.
2
Comments