A US-born neo-Nazi hate group has been relisted as a terrorist entity by the New Zealand Government. A paper published by police explains why and details the arrest of group members overseas. Photo / File
A violent neo-Nazi hate group with international reach has been relisted as a terrorist entity by the New Zealand Government, amid ongoing efforts to prevent extremist ideologies from taking root or operating within the country.
The Base is a white supremacist “militant accelerationist paramilitary group” that advocates for the violent overthrow of existing governments to establish white “ethnostates”.
The group’s ideology is said to be “rooted in extreme racism, antisemitism, and the belief in an impending race war”.
It is active in the US and Canada, with reports of training cells in Europe, South Africa and Australia.
The group, also known as TB, was first designated as a terrorist entity in New Zealand in June 2022 alongside another US group, the Proud Boys.
The Proud Boys designation expired last month, but a spokesperson for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet said the group remained “on the radar”.
The Base was designated as a terror group by Canada, Australia and the UK in 2021 and the European Union in 2024.
Police here published a paper last month setting out why its designation had been renewed under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.
“The risk of a terrorist attack in New Zealand is low, but the Government [is] determined that New Zealand and New Zealanders be neither the target nor source of terrorist activities,” police said.
“The designation of terrorist entities is one measure New Zealand takes to contribute to the international campaign against terrorism.”
The paper detailed new information about TB’s “continued involvement” in terrorist activity and listed “recent attacks which meet the definition of a terrorist act”.
“This updated information, together with the information contained in the original designation paper, provides the basis for the conclusion that TB meets the legal criteria for renewal of its designation as a terrorist entity.”
Police said that, while TB had not committed acts that qualified as “terrorism”, it had “continued their adherence to white-identity motivated extremism” and had “continued recruitment drives in countries including Australia”.
“Since its designation in 2022, TB has developed a transnational presence. Reporting indicates individuals suspected of TB membership and plots of violence [have] been observed across Europe, with arrests in various European countries.”
Several overseas examples were listed in the report and are detailed below.
“TB’s total membership is unknown,” the paper says. “Its primary web forum reportedly has 45 members. A key goal of TB is to train a cadre of extremists capable of accelerationist violence.
“[Founder Rinaldo] Nazzaro has repetitively counselled members online about violence, the acquisition of weapons, and actions to accelerate the collapse of the US Government and survive the subsequent period of chaos and violence.
“In support of this objective, Nazzaro ensures the group maintain[s] a large database of PDFs that explore a wide range of terrorist tactics, how to construct weapons (including weapons of mass destruction), survivalist techniques, and ideological texts.
“TB seeks to recruit members with existing capabilities in self-defence, outdoor skills, and specifically current/former members of the armed forces.”
In the paper, police outlined the structure of TB from Russia-based Nazzaro to former leader Justen Watkins, who is in prison in the US after the discovery of “plans to kill police and minorities” and to “destroy” police headquarters.
“Instead of a hierarchy, TB mainly operates under the ‘leaderless resistance’ model. This model advocates forming two-to-three-person cells to commit acts of violence and train together independently.
“Both Nazzaro and the official [social media] account of TB have encouraged Europeans to join the group.
“This paper concludes that there are still reasonable grounds for TB to be designated. Since its designation in June 2022, TB has continued to carry out activities which meet the definition of terrorist acts … including planning, threatening and attempting attacks.
“Accordingly, there are still reasonable grounds to believe TB has knowingly carried out terrorist acts as set out in … the [Terrorism Suppression] Act.”
The paper, available on the police website, details activity by TB members overseas.
“During the US election, they became visibly active on the internet as they attempted to find a stateside leader with the promise of a $1200 monthly salary,” it says.
“In 2023 and 2024, TB posted photos of members and propaganda activity allegedly occurring in France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Sweden and Ukraine.
“On August 20, 2024, Dutch police arrested three individuals - ages 16, 18, and 26 - on suspicion of belonging to TB. The suspects allegedly attempted to convince people across chat groups to commit terrorist crimes.”
In September last year, authorities in Italy arrested an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old for their alleged involvement in a Russian accelerationist network linked to TB.
Police said one of the suspects had developed a “substantial online network of connections” with other users associated with supremacist groups.
“The suspect seeks to enhance his standing within these circles by disseminating accelerationist propaganda and committing local crimes, which he later shares with the group administrators.
“The investigation into the other suspect revealed his strong ties to the network, where he serves as an active administrator and has even been named the new leader following the reported arrest of the group’s previous head.”
In the paper, the police explain the activity of influential members of TB in the US.
In May 2022, Watkins was jailed for four years after spending years preparing for a “race war”.
Watkins had planned “to kill police and minorities” and build a “fortified compound” from which to launch his war via “a mass attack”.
“Watkins took part in and instructed training to enhance his associates’ tactical capabilities and firearms proficiencies.
“He also hosted ‘hate camps’ for members of TB and other like-minded individuals.”
In June 2024, TB member Nathan Weeden was sentenced to 26 months in prison and three years under supervised release for conspiring to harm individuals exercising their rights, and “intentionally vandalising religious property due to its racial or ethnic affiliation”.
“Weeden and his co-conspirators targeted Black and Jewish individuals, in addition to vandalising a synagogue with swastikas and symbols linked to TB.”
The same month, Nazzaro posted statements to social media encouraging “a violent armed revolution as a means to create a separate ethnostate within the US”.
“Nazzaro claimed … that change would only be secured through the use of force … [and] proposed violent action as the only viable way to achieve [TB’s goals] ... stating that he and his followers need the ability to dictate how society is ruled.”
The report outlines further allegations against TB members, arrests and details of sentences handed down in various US cities.
“In November 2023, a major operation co-ordinated by Europol and Eurojust arrested five individuals and interrogated seven more for their suspected involvement in TB.
“The operation was conducted in Belgium, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Romania. The individuals were allegedly responsible for disseminating violent extremist propaganda, recruitment of new members, and sharing manuals for 3D-printed weapons.
“Some of the suspects had already written a manifesto, had access to weapons, and were considered at risk of launching imminent action.”
Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 19 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz.