Suspected leader of Hell’s Angels in Romania extradited to U.S. on drug, murder charges

The suspected leader of the Hell’s Angels biker gang in Romania was extradited Monday to the U.S. on multiple charges, including complicity in attempted murder.

Romanian authorities arrested Marius Lazar, 49, in Bucharest last month and accused him of drug trafficking, money laundering and negotiating two attempted killings of two rivals, according to Reuters.

U.S. marshals met Mr. Lazar as he was taken aboard a plane in Romania, the outlet reported.

“The extradition request was approved in January 2023, and the Romanian citizen will be transferred to the USA, where he will be tried for the acts he is accused of,” police told Reuters. Mr. Lazar was not identified by Romanian authorities.

Romanian authorities said they first began investigating members of the Hell’s Angels in 2020 with the help of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Hell’s Angels, officially known as the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Corporation, was founded in Fontana, California, in 1948. It has since grown to over 3,000 members in 59 countries with 471 chapters.

The motorcycle club was first established in Romania in 2013 and currently has seven chapters in the country.

Both the U.S. Department of Justice and Europol consider the Hell’s Angels to be a criminal organization.