SF police eyeing cycle gang rivalry

Surveillance, patrols stepped up near site of recent drive-by shooting

SANTA FE — Police in Santa Fe have established surveillance and are increasing patrols around the site of a drive-by shooting related to a rivalry between two motorcycle gangs.

The home of a Bandidos Motorcycle Club member near Alamosa Drive and Camino del Gusto is under 24-hour camera surveillance. His house was targeted in the shooting by alleged members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club.

“We also have extra patrols in that area and have heightened our presence in the area to send out a message that the city won’t tolerate that type of activity,” said police spokesman Greg Gurule.

The shooting comes amid an ongoing turf war in New Mexico between the California-based Vagos and the Texas-founded Bandidos. Gurule, passing along remarks from Santa Fe Police Chief Patrick Gallagher, said Wednesday there was “no way to know if there is any type of growing feud between the groups” or if the Saturday night shooting in Santa Fe was merely “a dispute between two individuals.”

“We do take it seriously and are putting resources

into determining exactly what happened and what led up to the incident while at the same time using an increased presence in the area to make sure things stay calm,” said Gurule.

He added, “We certainly hope it will not escalate, and that’s why we are putting the additional resources ... into making all parties aware that in (an) on-going basis we will not accept this type of dangerous activity in the city of Santa Fe.”

A member of the Bandidos was shot Sunday night in El Paso. A member of the Kinfolk Motorcycle Club was arrested in that case, according to an El Paso Times report.

In Santa Fe, David Cordova, 54, and his son David Ray Cordova, 29, were charged with shooting at an occupied building from a motor vehicle after about 20 rounds were fired at a house on Alamosa Drive Saturday evening, according to criminal complaints filed in Magistrate Court.

David Cordova was taken to hospital in an ambulance after officers noticed a gunshot wound on his right arm. He admitted to police at the hospital that he and his son had shot at the house on Alamosa Drive.

Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center was temporarily put on lockdown as a precaution after David Cordova was taken there. Vagos Motorcycle Club members had crowded an emergency room to visit their injured club member.