DOJ Targets Extremist Group You Likely Never Heard Of
Three members of the global violent extremist network, 764, were recently charged with child exploitation
On April 4, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a statement about the arrest of a California man on charges that he targeted children for sexual exploitation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested 28-year-old Jose Henry Ayala Casamiro of San Fernando Valley, California, on charges of attempting to possess and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). A judge denied bond.
On Tuesday, the DOJ charged two leaders of the group, 21-year-old Leonidas Varagiannis, also known as War, a US citizen living in Thessaloniki, Greece, and 20-year-old Prasan Nepal, also known as Trippy, of High Point, North Carolina, “for their crimes operating an international child exploitation enterprise in connection with a nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) network known as 764.” Nepal was arrested on April 22. Varagiannis was on April 28.
“The allegations in this case are not only disturbing, they are also every parent’s nightmare,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “The number of victims allegedly exploited by these defendants, and the depths of depravity, are staggering. Justice demands that our response be swift in order to ensure public safety, hold the wrongdoers accountable, and bring the victims some sense of closure so they can heal.”
To explain 764 is not as simple as describing a hate group with a defined ideology like the Proud Boys, the Ku Klux Klan, or Neo-Nazi groups like Patriot Front. What makes the group most alarming is the grooming and sexual exploitation of minors. But that’s not all the group is about. It has been described as accelerationist, nihilistic, and misanthropic due to a focus on inflicting pain and violence on others.
Through a vast network of Telegram and Discord channels, the group targets primarily young people from true crime communities, leading them to gore videos and accelerationist content. The group has used Nazi satanic imagery for shock value but fall short of promoting any single ideology aside from promoting violence, suicide, and murder.
The FBI issued a bulletin warning about the group in March.
“These networks use threats, blackmail, and manipulation to coerce or extort victims into producing, sharing, or live-streaming acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, sexually explicit acts, and/or suicide,” reads the bulletin. “The footage is then circulated among members of the network to continue to extort victims and exert control over them.”
Exploiting children and teens is a major part of the movement. After grooming minors and convincing them to share personal details and sexual material, members of the group have extorted them by threatening to share the content with their families and friends. The group promotes ideas to target young girls, the LGBTQ community, and people with possible mental health issues for exploitation. Young men often commit much of the violence against others.
The group has also been connected to “Saints Culture,” which is the deification of mass shooters, the Unabomber, and acts of terrorism, like the Oklahoma City bombing. I’ve covered this ideology previously, as the Terrorgram network was being designated as a global terrorist organization in January. The Terrorgram network was used to solicit hate crimes and attacks on federal officials, and likely used online groups like 764 to recruit people for those attacks.
Since 2021, at least 13 people connected to 764 have been arrested and charged with child exploitation material, and at least two school shooters were affiliated with the group. While the group originated in the US, it has spread all over Europe, with various arrests taking place. But because many of the offenders were minors as young as 14 years old, the details of those violent crime cases are hard to find.
As neo-Nazi groups like Active Club continue to grow in the US and Europe, and with the language we hear from lawmakers at home and politicians around the world, we can expect recruiting numbers for these groups continue to increase. Recruitment efforts by hate groups and 764 are similar in that it is typically focused on young white men. But young women, along with nonwhite people, members of the LGBTQ community, and poor people, are often targeted.
It behooves everyone to be aware of those around them and address anything perceived as extremist behavior or language, especially with young kids and teenagers. Society must do better to challenge these far-right radical ideas in the real world, not just online. The best way to do that is by talking to those in our immediate proximity and keeping them in touch with reality.
Arturo is an independent journalist whose work can be found at Unicorn Riot, The Antagonist Magazine, Latino Rebels, and more. Arturo is also on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads. To support his work, become a paid subscriber or donate via Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App.
Exploitation of children is despicable. What I inferred from your writing is that inflicting pain is the point, and it is not about any other particular ideology. I know enough about the pathology of children who harm animals to know how destructive this would be to our society. I am also aware that if we don't heal the pain within ourselves, we will continue to pass it on to others. Arturo, you are a valuable journalist and teacher.