Violent neo-Nazi group is silently rebuilding in the US and telling followers there are ‘only military solutions’
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A violent neo-Nazi group is silently rebuilding in the U.S., sharing an ominous warning with its followers that there are “only military solutions.”
The Base, formed in 2018, proscribed as a terrorist organization in several countries, appears to be undergoing a resurgence which experts attribute to seizing a “window of opportunity” with the new Trump administration.
The group, which has been subject to a years-long FBI counter-terrorism investigation, has been relatively quiet since 2022. But The Guardian reports that its founder and leader, former U.S. special forces contractor Rinaldo Nazzaro who is believed to be in Russia, was recruiting and reorganizing ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Nazzaro, according to the newspaper, attempted to solicit veterans with $1,200 a month to train prospective members in an undisclosed location in the Pacific north-west.
An audio message released this month, shared with The Guardian, reportedly discussed the group’s ambitions to pursue covert action over public protest.
“Are we just going to be reactionary? Or are we going to be part of the solution? The military solution,” the voice said. “Because inevitably we’re going to end up in some sort of military situation, what are the choices?”
The voice talked of a “black scenario” outlining the collapse of the U.S. government where there would be a need to “provide for your family” and for “white women.”
“There is no political solution, only a military solution,” it continued. “So act accordingly.”
Following Trump’s election win in November, analysts predicted the FBI would pivot away from prioritizing investigations into violent right-wing groups.
Experts believe the group is regrouping now because it senses a window of opportunity with the new administration.
“I think groups like the Base, far-right extremist groups that are strategic, have been waiting for the right opportunity before reinvigorating their respective organizations,” terrorism expert Colin Clarke told The Guardian.
Clarke, director of research at the Soufan Center, told the outlet that Kash Patel, Trump’s recently confirmed FBI director, would direct any counter-terrorism activity towards the left.
“This means that far-right extremist groups likely perceive the re-election of Trump as a green light to rebuild without fear of arrest or prosecution,” Clarke said.
Steven Rai of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue agreed that the group, and others, are taking note of leadership changes.
“Violent extremists are absolutely paying attention to the changes in the national security establishment in the U.S.,” Rai told the newspaper.
The Independent has contacted the FBI for comment.
Nazarro, who used the alias Norman Spear, aimed to set up militant cells around the world and had links to other neo-Nazi terrorist groups, including Feuerkrieg Division and Atomwaffen Division.
There has been a flurry of activity across the group’s social media pages, the newspaper noted, with some members claiming to be in the U.S.
Over the years the authorities have arrested several people linked with the groups, on charges including conspiracy to commit murder.
The group is among numerous “accelerationist” white supremacist groups drawing from the writings of American neo-Nazi James Mason.
