BRUSSELS: The European Union designated “The Base,” a neo-Nazi group founded in the US and active in multiple countries, as a terrorist organization, imposing immediate sanctions.
“The Base is a right-wing extremist group involved in terrorist activities, founded by Rinaldo Nazzaro in 2018,” the Council of the European Union stated.
The sanctions include a travel ban, asset freezes in Europe, and a prohibition on EU citizens or companies providing financial support to the group.
According to FBI court documents reported by the BBC, The Base aims “to expedite the collapse of the United States government, incite a race war, and establish a white ethno-state.”
Nazzaro, a US citizen, established the group in July 2018 as a network for radical right nationalists preparing for armed conflict. He later moved to Saint Petersburg and acquired Russian citizenship, as reported by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank.
The Base operates in the US as well as in countries including Britain, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the Netherlands, according to various reports and parliamentary documents.
The Counter Extremism Project revealed that Nazzaro worked for the US Department of Homeland Security from 2004 to 2006 and with US forces on counterterrorism, holding top-secret clearance. He resigned from his US national security role after adopting white nationalist views.
Concerns have been raised by CSIS about The Base potentially attracting radicalized members from the US military and law enforcement.
The Soufan Center, founded by a former FBI agent, reported that Nazzaro has boasted of his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
