Hells Angels Chapter arrested during investigation into kidnapping, robbery and assault

The president and vice president of the Hells Angels as well as the entire chapter of the Bakersfield, California Motorcycle Club were arrested as part of the investigation for kidnapping, robbery and assault.

According to a statement from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office shared on Facebook on Tuesday, June 25, six members of the outlaw motorcycle gang were arrested earlier that day for “various violent crimes,” while a seventh member was already in police custody for “other offenses.”

Authorities reportedly seized approximately 25 firearms, ammunition, several high-capacity magazines and gang paraphernalia.

Those arrested include Ricardo Alvarez, 42, Armando Villasenor, 55, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, Joseph Soto Jr., 33, Joshua Zavala, 31, and John Seeger, 57, all of Bakersfield. Joshua Vaughn, 37, also of Bakersfield, is the person who was already in custody.

Alvarez, Villasenor, Soto Sr., Soto Jr. and Zavala are members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, while Vaughn and Seeger are members of the Sons of Hell Motorcycle Club, a sub-club that receives direction and policies from the Hells Angels, according to the sheriff’s office.

All suspects were charged with multiple counts, including kidnapping, first-degree robbery, assault with a firearm, false imprisonment and elder abuse, the statement said. They were booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Lerdo facility.

The arrests followed a joint investigation by the sheriff’s office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the California Highway Patrol. The investigation is ongoing, according to the statement.

Photos posted on Facebook by the Sheriff’s Office showed some of the firearms and paraphernalia seized by authorities.

According to NBC News, it is unclear if the investigation stems from a single incident or multiple incidents. Kern County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Lori Meza told the news agency that no details can be released yet because the investigation is ongoing.

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The Kern County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further information.

The Hells Angels were founded after World War II and are considered an outlaw motorcycle gang and criminal organization by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to NBC News.