Some 40 staffers of the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which operates four aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip, were recruited from an anti-Islam biker gang that glorifies the Crusades, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
UG Solutions, a North Carolina-based firm that’s been contracted by the GHF to work at the distribution sites, recruited members of Infidels MC, a motorcycle club founded in 2006 by veterans of the American war in Iraq.
Infidel MC’s leader, Johnny “Taz” Mulford, used Facebook to recruit fellow veterans to work for UG Solutions, on contract with the GHF.
“If you have a combat arms [military operational specialty], can still shoot, move and communicate, (this will be tested) can leave within next 12 hours Text me,” he posted on May 16, according to a screenshot shared by the BBC.
At least 40 people out of 320 total who were hired to work for UG Solutions in Gaza were recruited from Infidels MC, a former contractor who was not named told the British public broadcaster. They are being paid $980 a day, or $1,580 if they are a team leader.
The report said seven gang members now hold senior posts in the GHF’s Gaza operations.
Mulford, who did not respond to a BBC request for comment, is a former US Army sergeant. According to the BBC, he was punished for conspiracy to commit bribery, theft, and making false statements to military authorities. He is now in charge of UG Solutions’ work in Gaza.
UGS said in a statement that Mulford is a “trusted and respected figure” with more than 30 years of experience supporting American and allied forces. “We stand by his reputation, record, and his contributions to the success of complex missions,” the firm declared.
Mulford did not respond to a request for comment, but in an apparent mistake, used the “reply all” feature to tell fellow Infidel MC leaders to ignore the request, thus giving the BBC names and email addresses of several other members.
Matching those names and email addresses to public information, the broadcaster identified 10 members of Infidels MC who are working in Gaza.
Among them is Larry “J-Rod” Jarrett, who has been named as the group’s vice president, and is reportedly in charge of UGS logistics in Gaza.
According to the BBC, Jarett was arrested two years ago for drunk driving, and had another DUI charge prior to that, though it was not clear to the outlet whether he was convicted.
Also identified was John Miller, a team leader in Gaza, who posted a photo from Gaza in which contractors held up a banner reading “Make Gaza Great Again.”
The banner includes the logo of Miller’s apparel company, which sells shirts aimed at veterans. Some of the shirts read “embrace violence” and “Surf all day, rockets all night. Gaza summer 25,” according to the BBC report, though these appeared to have been removed later Wednesday.
Both Mulford and Miller have tattoos referring to the Crusades.
In addition to the word “infidels” on his upper arm, Mulford has the number “1095” written across his chest. Miller has “Crusader” tattooed across his fingers, and “1095” on his thumbs.
In the year 1095, Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade, calling on Christians to travel to the Holy Land, as Muslim and Christian empires fought in the region. The call initiated a series of Medieval holy wars that are remembered in part for the crusaders’ massacres of both Muslims and Jews across Europe and the Middle East.
The bikers, who say that they “reject the radical jihadist movement that threatens liberty and freedom around the world,” made headlines a decade ago for an event in which they roasted a pig “in defiance of” the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
UG Solutions, pressed for comment on the Infidels’ inclusion, said in a statement: “We do not screen for personal hobbies or affiliations unrelated to job performance or security standards. Every team member undergoes comprehensive background checks, and only qualified, vetted individuals are deployed on UG Solutions operations.”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said in a statement that it has a “zero-tolerance policy for any hateful, discriminatory biases or conduct,” adding that it relies on “people from all backgrounds” in its work.
“The team providing aid at the Foundation’s sites is diverse — and it is successful for that reason,” the GHF said.
It added that “Mr. Mulford has not been involved with GHF since August and we are actively reviewing additional allegations.”
The inclusion of Infidels MC members in the GHF’s operations was first reported in early August by Zeteo, a left-wing outlet founded by commentator Mehdi Hasan, and was also picked up by The Intercept.
Both reports cited, among other sources, Anthony Aguilar, a former GHF staffer who accused the foundation of war crimes, but was later revealed to have falsified a memo from his time there and to have asserted that a boy was killed who was later found to be living with his mother outside Gaza.
The GHF, which started operations in May 2025 after a two-month Israeli blockade on all aid into Gaza, has been touted as a means of distributing aid to Gaza’s civilians without it falling into the hands of Hamas.
Its sites have been plagued by near-daily shooting incidents that have seen hundreds killed as they try to reach the GHF distribution centers. Palestinians have alleged that the IDF was behind such shootings.
The United Nations says more than 1,300 people have been killed trying to obtain aid supplies in the enclave since the GHF began operating in May, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites.
The IDF has acknowledged firing warning shots at crowds that get too close to its soldiers, but called the UN tallies exaggerated, though it hasn’t provided alternate numbers. It has also noted that deadly incidents are not limited to GHF sites, but occur along UN-administered aid routes as well.