Hells Angels Arrest in Cancún: Mexico’s Cartel Link?

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC), the bikers who work in association with Mexican cartels and are known in Spanish as the “Angels of Hell,” reappeared on the radar of Mexican authorities after the arrest of Robert Skojo, alias “Rob,” identified as the alleged leader of the organization in Quintana Roo.

Skojo was located in the Isla Dorada residential complex in the hotel zone of Cancún during an operation involving members of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and Quintana Roo authorities.

The operation included three raids on residences in Cancún. Authorities seized 1.3 kilograms of marijuana, two rifles, a handgun, two vehicles and a cell phone. The detainee was turned over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which will determine his legal status.

Who the Hells Angels Are and Why Authorities Link Them to Criminal Activity

The Hells Angels emerged on March 17, 1948, in the Fontana and San Bernardino area of California, in the United States. Their expansion began during the following decades, and in 1961 they established their first chapter outside California, in Auckland, New Zealand. Later, they spread to Europe and other regions.

The club became one of the most recognized motorcycle groups in the world. Its members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and the organization’s emblem is a winged skull, known as the “Death Head.”

The group is often described as an outlaw motorcycle gang (OMG), a term used by U.S. authorities to refer to outlaw motorcycle organizations. The U.S. Department of Justice states that the Hells Angels have an international presence and that some of its members and chapters have been involved in activities such as drug production, transportation and distribution, as well as extortion, homicide, money laundering and other crimes.

This does not mean that every member of the club has been charged or convicted of crimes. Legal investigations have targeted specific members, associates or chapters.

Drug Trafficking, Extortion and Violence: What Is Attributed to the Group?

The relationship between certain chapters of the Hells Angels and organized crime has been documented in judicial investigations in the United States.

In 2024, for example, three members of the Sonoma County chapter were sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of crimes related to an organized crime conspiracy that included murder. The Justice Department noted that the investigation also uncovered activities related to drug trafficking, extortion, robbery, assault and witness intimidation.

In another case, a vice president of the Modesto chapter pleaded guilty in 2021 to conspiracies related to the distribution of heroin and marijuana.

The U.S. Department of Justice itself notes that the Hells Angels are among the top outlaw motorcycle gangs investigated for activities related to drug trafficking and cross-border smuggling.

The organization also has a history of territorial conflicts. In Canada, its expansion was linked to the so-called Quebec biker war, a conflict that lasted several years and whose central focus was control of the street-level drug market.

Previous Hells Angels Arrest in Cancún During 2026

The capture of Robert Skojo is not the first blow against members of the Hells Angels in Quintana Roo during 2026.

In May, Mexican authorities arrested Denis Ivzuki in Cancún, identified at the time as the alleged leader of the organization and its logistics operator. According to federal sources, Ivzuki was wanted by Canadian authorities and had an Interpol red notice, as well as an extradition order related to international drug and arms trafficking charges.

Five months later, Skojo was located in Isla Dorada, one of the most valuable residential areas in Cancún, during an operation that involved federal and state agencies.

With both arrests, Mexican authorities have once again put the presence of the Hells Angels in Quintana Roo under scrutiny, an organization that, although it maintains a public identity linked to motorcycling, has also been singled