International Neo-Nazi Group 'The Base' to Host 'National Training Event' in US This Summer

A neo-Nazi terrorist organization is openly planning a large-scale paramilitary training event in the United States this summer.

The international extremist group, The Base, has resurged under what analysts describe as a more permissive environment for far-right extremism, despite previously being dismantled by FBI counter operation, The Guardian reported. Founded in 2018 by Rinaldo Nazzaro, a former Pentagon contractor now living in Russia, the group has increased activity in the past year, setting up cells across Europe and within the US.

Online posts from the group's encrypted channels confirm the upcoming "national training event," which The Base claims may be its most well-attended U.S. gathering in years. The event aims to bring together members from across the country for weapons training, tactical drills, and ideological indoctrination.

"When you donate money to The Base, you're investing in a White Defense Force that's aiming to protect white people from political persecution and physical destruction," the group stated in a recent fundraising post, soliciting cryptocurrency donations.

Analysts like Joshua Fisher-Birch of the Counter Extremism Project warn the event signals a new phase in the group's ambitions. "The upcoming national training event indicates that the group is seeking to grow and is willing to take the risk of advertising it publicly in advance," he said.

Under FBI Director Kash Patel, the bureau has deprioritized far-right domestic extremism, formally limiting use of the term "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism," despite the 2024 National Intelligence Threat Assessment citing it among key global terrorism threats.

"Our focus is not on membership in particular groups but on criminal activity," an FBI spokesperson said when questioned about The Base. "Membership in groups is not illegal in and of itself and is protected by the first amendment."

Despite the FBI's dismissal of the group as a national security threat, the bureau has previously arrested over a dozen members of The Base for activities directly tied to the organization.

Rinaldo Nazzaro, in a recent video, emphasized that The Base is shifting from online rhetoric to real-world action. "It's propaganda through actions, not just words," he said, signaling the group's intent to escalate its activity in the U.S.

At this time, the location of the training remains undisclosed.