The Base (accelerationist)
Neo-Nazi accelerationist organisation founded 2018 by Rinaldo Nazzaro. Designated terrorist organisation in UK, Canada, Australia. Multiple US members convicted of weapons and conspiracy charges.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
+2 for terrorist designation and multiple criminal cases.
Profile facts
In context
The Base was founded in June 2018 by Rinaldo Nazzaro, who uses the aliases 'Norman Spear' and 'Roman Wolf' and has directed the network's activities from Russia since shortly after its founding. The group operates as a paramilitary training and recruitment network for accelerationist neo-Nazis, running 'hate camps' -- including one identified near Spokane, Washington -- that teach firearms use, survivalism, and guerrilla tactics; Nazzaro has described his goal as building 'a cadre of trainers' while publicly denying the group's neo-Nazi character. Prospective members undergo a vetting process intended to connect ideologically committed extremists with people who have legal access to firearms and security licences, and the network has sought to establish cells in the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa, and Australia.
In January 2020, the FBI arrested six members before a gun-rights rally in Richmond, Virginia, following months of surveillance that included in-apartment CCTV; three were indicted for illegal weapons activity and three others for a plot to derail trains and poison a water supply. Patrik Mathews and Brian Lemley, recorded discussing the mass murder of Black people to trigger a race war, were sentenced to nine years in prison in 2021. Internationally, two Dutch men linked to the group -- one from Amsterdam who had threatened to assassinate Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the other from Dordrecht who circulated messages encouraging racist and homophobic violence -- were sentenced in December 2021 to 24 months in prison, 18 months suspended; separately, two Dutch 19-year-olds were arrested in October 2020 and charged with right-wing extremist sedition over their alleged Base membership; in April 2021, two Base members were indicted in Floyd County, Georgia for the alleged theft and ritual beheading of an animal, with prosecutors stating that a dozen members took part in the associated blood-drinking ritual. A coordinated Europol operation across six European countries produced further arrests in November 2023, and Dutch police arrested three more suspected members in September 2024.
The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia designated The Base a terrorist organisation in 2021, followed by New Zealand in 2022 and the European Union in 2024. In April 2025, the group solicited volunteers and offered payment for attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, military, and political targets -- reported as the first documented instance of the group aligning with Kremlin geopolitical objectives, consistent with earlier reporting placing Nazzaro at a 2019 Moscow security-exhibition guest list and a November 2020 interview broadcast on Russian state television. The network remains active, operating primarily through small, vetted cells rather than public membership.
Key control doctrines
- Accelerationist neo-Nazism
- Race-war preparation
Recovery resources
- Life After Hate / Exit USA — US-based white-nationalist disengagement organisation; primary referral for The Base ex-member disengagement.
- Free Radicals Project — Christian Picciolini's organisation; long-running violent-extremist disengagement support.
- EXIT-Deutschland — German pioneering far-right exit programme; relevant for The Base's European recruitment cases.
- Hope Not Hate (UK) — UK anti-extremism organisation; family-support information for relatives of those drawn into accelerationist movements including The Base.
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Legal cases & controversies
- DOJ multiple conspiracy cases
- UK proscription 2021
Evidence by BITE axis
- Terrorist proscription in UK, Canada, Australia
- Multiple US conspiracy convictions
- Encrypted recruitment pipelines
- Founder operating from Russia
- Accelerationist neo-Nazism
- Race-war preparation
- +2 for terrorist designation and multiple criminal cases
Timeline
- 2018The Base founded by Rinaldo Nazzaro
- 2020Multiple US members arrested in Maryland and Georgia
- 2021UK proscribes as terrorist
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
Sources
- DOJ Whitaker, Mathews et al. cases search ↗
- BBC Panorama coverage search ↗
- UK Home Office proscription search ↗
- Wikipedia: The Base (neo-Nazi group), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Base_(neo-Nazi_group) (accessed 2026-08-31) ↗ Wikipedia
- BBC News: 'Neo-Nazi Rinaldo Nazzaro running US militant group The Base from Russia' (Jan 24, 2020), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51236915 open ↗
- Michigan Supreme Court Denies Appeal of Sentence from Leader of White Supremacist Org The Base — https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2024/04/02/michigan-supreme-court-denies-appeal-of-sentence-from-leader-of-white-supremacist-org-the-base open ↗
- About the listing process — https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-en.aspx#540 open ↗
- Canada Gazette, Part 2, Volume 155, Number 2: Regulations Amending the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities — http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2021/2021-02-03-x2/html/sor-dors8-eng.html open ↗
- Sanctions against terrorism: Council renews the EU Terrorist List and designates a new entity — https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/07/26/sanctions-against-terrorism-council-renews-the-eu-terrorist-list-and-designates-a-new-entity/ open ↗
- Oak Creek man who vandalized Racine synagogue pleads guilty — https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/oak-creek-man-who-vandalized-racine-synagogue-pleads-guilty open ↗
- Spain dismantles cell linked to neo-Nazi terrorist group The Base — https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/spain-dismantles-cell-linked-neo-nazi-terrorist-group-base-2025-12-01/ open ↗
- Neo-Nazis Are Organizing Secretive Paramilitary Training Across America — https://www.vice.com/en/article/neo-nazis-are-organizing-secretive-paramilitary-training-across-america/ open ↗
- The Base Tapes: Inside a neo-Nazi recruitment drive in Australia — https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-26/the-base-tapes-secret-recordings-australian-recruitment/13255994 open ↗
- UK bans fifth neo-Nazi group under terror laws — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57806800 open ↗
- Militant Neo-Nazi Group Actively Recruiting Ahead of Alleged Training Camp — https://www.vice.com/en/article/militant-neo-nazi-group-actively-recruiting-ahead-of-alleged-training-camp/ open ↗
- US neo-Nazi group with Russia-based leader calls for targeted Ukraine attacks — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/the-base-neo-nazi-russia-ukraine open ↗
- Neo-Nazi group plots rebuild as Trump's FBI chief takes helm, audio reveals — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/24/neo-nazi-trump-fbi-chief open ↗
- Canada becomes first nation to declare the Proud Boys a terrorist organization — https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/02/03/canada-declares-proud-boys-terrorist-organization/4372307001/ open ↗
- Australia lists neo-Nazi organisation The Base, Lebanese Shia party Hezbollah as terrorist organisations — https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-24/neo-nazi-group-base-hezbollah-terrorist-listing/100646300/ open ↗
- Australia lists neo-Nazi group The Base and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations: _Home affairs minister Karen Andrews updates terror list, making membership of either group a crim — https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/24/australia-lists-neo-nazi-group-the-base-and-hezbollah-as-terrorist-organisations open ↗
- iFunny Has Become A Hub For White Nationalism — https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/the-meme-app-ifunny-is-a-huge-hub-for-white-nationalists open ↗
- New Paramilitary Training Video Emerges of Neo-Nazi Terror Group — https://www.vice.com/en/article/new-paramilitary-training-video-emerges-of-neo-nazi-terror-group/ open ↗
- From One Nation to neo-Nazism: Australians being drawn into extremism — https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-one-nation-to-neo-nazism-australians-being-drawn-into-extremism-20210324-p57dr9.html open ↗
- Why Arrest of Richard Tobin Is Bad News for Neo-Nazi Group The Base — https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-arrest-of-richard-tobin-is-bad-news-for-neo-nazi-group-the-base open ↗
- Virginia Capital on Edge as F.B.I. Arrests Suspected Neo-Nazis Before Gun Rally — https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/us/fbi-arrest-virginia-gun-rally.html open ↗
- Judge: Canadian Man Tied To Extremist Group Is 'Very Dangerous — https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/alleged-white-supremacists-brian-lemley-william-garfield-bilbrough-patrik-jordan-mathews-maryland/ open ↗
- Three Alleged White Supremacists Who Reportedly Hoped Virginia Gun Rally Would Cause 'Civil War' Indicted In Maryland, Delaware — https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/the-base-brian-lemley-patrik-mathews-william-bilbrough-indictments-latest/ open ↗
- Newly released FBI tapes show white supremacist members of 'The Base' plotting terror attacks — https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/newly-released-fbi-tapes-show-white-supremacist-members/story?id=80975917 open ↗
- Feds arrest alleged white supremacy group member who claimed to run "hate camp" in Michigan — https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-arrests-justen-watkins-michigan-white-supremacy-group-the-base/ open ↗
- Neo-Nazi Terrorists Planned Fortified Compound in Michigan — https://www.vice.com/en/article/neo-nazi-terrorists-planned-fortified-compound-in-michigan/ open ↗
- Extreem-rechtse verdachten van wie één aanslag op Rutte zou willen plegen, zitten voorlopig vast — https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/extreem-rechtse-verdachten-van-wie-een-aanslag-op-rutte-zou-willen-plegen-zitten-voorlopig-vast~b0f2e884/ open ↗
- Opération policière européenne contre un groupe d'ultradroite soupçonné de préparer des attentats — https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2023/11/11/operation-policiere-europeenne-contre-un-groupe-d-ultradroite-soupconne-de-preparer-des-attentats_6199534_3210.html open ↗
- Northumberland teen denies planning terror attack — https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1kjj80eexzo open ↗
- Far-right Base group claims murders in Ukraine amid questions over Russia ties — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/26/the-base-far-right-terror-group-ukraine-russia open ↗
- Revealed: the true identity of the leader of an American neo-Nazi terror group — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/23/revealed-the-true-identity-of-the-leader-of-americas-neo-nazi-terror-group open ↗
- Neo-Nazi militant group grooms teenagers — https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53128169 open ↗
- How One Man Built a Neo-Nazi Insurgency in Trump's America — https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-one-man-built-a-neo-nazi-insurgency-in-trumps-america/ open ↗
- Neo-Nazi Rinaldo Nazzaro running US militant group The Base from Russia — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51236915 open ↗
- Alleged former members of neo-Nazi group claim its leader is Russian spy — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/24/neo-nazi-group-the-base-leader-russian-spy-allegations open ↗
- 3 Alleged Members Of Hate Group 'The Base' Arrested In Georgia, Another In Wisconsin — https://www.npr.org/2020/01/17/797399834/3-alleged-members-of-hate-group-the-base-arrested-in-georgia open ↗
- Neo-Nazis Who Plotted to Kill Antifa Activist Sentenced to Prison — https://www.vice.com/en/article/neo-nazis-who-plotted-to-kill-antifa-activist-sentenced-to-prison/ open ↗
- Former 'Proud Boys' Lawyer Used Nationalist Group in Alleged Plot to Assassinate Rival: Court Docs — https://www.thedailybeast.com/former-proud-boys-lawyer-jason-lee-van-dyke-allegedly-plotted-assassination-of-rival-court-docs-say open ↗
- A Proud Boys Lawyer Wanted to Be a Nazi Terrorist — https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-proud-boys-lawyer-wanted-to-be-a-nazi-terrorist/ open ↗
- Neo-Nazi Terror Group Harbouring Missing Ex-Soldier: Sources — https://www.vice.com/en/article/neo-nazi-terror-group-harbouring-missing-ex-soldier-patrik-mathews-sources/ open ↗
- Hands in the air': RCMP raid home of army reservist accused of ties with neo-Nazi group — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/patrik-mathews-reservist-accused-neo-nazi-group-1.5253212 open ↗
- Top general says military started dealing with suspected neo-Nazi in the spring — https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vance-neo-nazi-canadian-forces-1.5256080 open ↗
- Army Reservist Tied to Neo-Nazi Terror Cell Is Missing — https://www.vice.com/en/article/former-army-reservist-tied-to-neo-nazi-terror-cell-is-missing/ open ↗
- Former army reservist linked to neo-Nazi group missing, sought by RCMP — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/patrik-matthews-neo-nazi-army-reservist-missing-1.5262251 open ↗
- Truck of former reservist with alleged neo-Nazi ties found near U.S.-Canada border — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/patrik-mathews-truck-base-1.5268780 open ↗
- American police warned former Manitoba army reservist likely crossed border — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/patrik-mathews-army-reservist-us-border-1.5270354 open ↗
- Missing Canadian Bomb Expert With Neo-Nazi Ties May Be in U.S. — https://www.thedailybeast.com/patrik-mathews-missing-canadian-bomb-expert-with-ties-to-neo-nazi-group-the-base-may-be-in-us open ↗
- Police Warn that Accused Neo-Nazi Canadian Soldier Could Have Fled to U.S. — https://www.vice.com/en/article/police-warn-that-accused-neo-nazi-patrik-mathews-canadian-soldier-could-be-have-fled-to-us/ open ↗
- Neo-Nazis Are Organizing Secretive Paramilitary Training Across America — https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/a3mexp/neo-nazis-are-organizing-secretive-paramilitary-training-across-america open ↗
- Militant Neo-Nazi Group Actively Recruiting Ahead of Alleged Training Camp — https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/bjwx55/militant-neo-nazi-group-actively-recruiting-ahead-of-alleged-training-camp open ↗
- New Paramilitary Training Video Emerges of Neo-Nazi Terror Group — https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/wjw5d4/new-paramilitary-training-video-emerges-of-neo-nazi-terror-group open ↗
- Operation Kristallnacht: Neo-Nazi accused of running US synagogue vandalism ring — https://www.timesofisrael.com/operation-kristallnacht-neo-nazi-accused-of-organizing-synagogue-vandalism-ring/ open ↗
- Neo-Nazi Terrorists Planned Fortified Compound in Michigan — https://www.vice.com/en/article/3anwyw/neo-nazi-terrorists-planned-fortified-compound-in-michigan open ↗
- Members of Neo-Nazi Org The Base Indicted For Sacrificing Ram While on Acid — https://www.vice.com/en/article/akgzda/members-of-neo-nazi-org-the-base-indicted-for-sacrificing-ram-while-on-acid open ↗
- La Policía Nacional desarticula la primera célula terrorista de La Base — https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/es/detalle/articulo/la-policia-nacional-desarticula-la-primera-celula-terrorista-de-la-base/ open ↗
- Spain dismantles cell linked to neo-Nazi terrorist group The Base — https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-dismantles-cell-linked-neo-nazi-terrorist-group-base-2025-12-01/ open ↗
- Así se montó la célula supremacista blanca en Castellón: “David es un flipado de las armas, pero nadie pensó que llegaría a tanto” — https://elpais.com/espana/2025-12-07/asi-se-monto-la-celula-supremacista-blanca-en-el-triangulo-de-la-ceramica-de-castellon-david-siempre-ha-sido-un-flipado-de-las-armas-pero-nadie-pensaba-que-iba-a-llegar-a-tanto.html open ↗
- A Proud Boys Lawyer Wanted to Be a Nazi Terrorist — https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx8xp4/a-proud-boys-lawyer-wanted-to-be-a-nazi-terrorist open ↗
- Neo-Nazi Terror Group Harbouring Missing Ex-Soldier: Sources — https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/8xwwaa/neo-nazi-terror-group-harbouring-missing-ex-soldier-patrik-mathews-sources open ↗
- Army Reservist Tied to Neo-Nazi Terror Cell Is Missing — https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/qvgbxv/former-army-reservist-tied-to-neo-nazi-terror-cell-is-missing open ↗
- Police Warn that Accused Neo-Nazi Canadian Soldier Could Have Fled to U.S. — https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/ne8ejx/police-warn-that-accused-neo-nazi-patrik-mathews-canadian-soldier-could-be-have-fled-to-us open ↗
- How One Man Built a Neo-Nazi Insurgency in Trump's America — https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7g9kb/how-one-man-built-a-neo-nazi-insurgency-in-trumps-america open ↗
- https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57806800 — https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57806800 open ↗
- Neo-Nazi Terror Leader on Russian TV: ‘I’m a Family Man’ — https://www.vice.com/en/article/rinaldo-nazzaro-neo-nazi-terror-leader-on-russian-tv-im-a-family-man/ open ↗
- Siege : “Sheer Political Terror” — Studies in Conflict & Terrorism (2023) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F1057610X.2023.2195061 open ↗
- Ukraine wing of US-founded terrorist group says it was involved in killing of intelligence officer in Kyiv — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/16/the-base-terrorist-group-ukraine-assassination open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-08-31Body expanded from stub (thin-content programme)
- 2026-05-20Source-density flags derived from existing free-text sources[]: investigative journalism. Heuristic auto-flag; subsequent editorial pass will populate structuredSources[] with reliability tiers.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Key terms in this profile
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
- Start herePick the reading path that matches your situation.
- PatternsDocumented control patterns with linked profiles.
- Online groupsPolitical and ideological coercion often operates via online communities.
- FamiliesHow families and close friends can engage with high-control members.
- RecoveryIf you have left or are preparing to leave.
You may also want to explore
Frequently asked questions
Q.Is The Base a cult?
CLCI Hub deliberately avoids the binary label "cult." Instead it places groups on a transparent 0–40 spectrum of documented control using Steven Hassan's BITE model (Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotional). The Base scores 29 out of 40 — "High Control", at high confidence. The score describes documented control patterns, not a judgement of members' sincerity or beliefs; many members do not personally experience the patterns listed.
Q.What is The Base's CLCI score?
The Base scores 29 out of 40 on the Cult-Like Control Index, which falls in the "High" band. That total is the sum of four BITE axes — Behaviour 6, Information 7, Thought 8, Emotional 6 — plus a signed modifier of +2 for aggravating or mitigating factors.
Q.Why does The Base score 29 on the CLCI?
The score reflects publicly documented patterns including: Terrorist proscription in UK, Canada, Australia; Multiple US conspiracy convictions; Encrypted recruitment pipelines; Founder operating from Russia. These map onto the BITE axes of behaviour, information, thought, and emotional control, and a signed modifier of +2 is applied for factors such as financial demands, leadership accountability, and exit costs. Every claim is backed by the citations in the Sources section on this page.
Q.How reliable is the The Base rating?
This profile is rated High confidence. High confidence means the score is backed by court records, academic work, and/or sustained investigative journalism. CLCI scores are not fixed — they are revised whenever new public evidence appears, and groups that reform can score lower over time.
Q.Where can I get help regarding The Base?
If you or someone you care about is affected by The Base, start with the Recovery resources listed on this page. General cult-aware support is available from the International Cultic Studies Association (icsahome.com) and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center (freedomofmind.com). CLCI Hub is an educational resource, not a crisis service — if anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.