The United States has announced the designation of The Terrorgram Collective and three of its leaders as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), underscoring the country's commitment to addressing the growing threat of transnational racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE). This move, made on Monday by the U.S. Department of State, is aimed at combating the spread of violent white supremacism and curbing its influence across borders.
Matthew Miller, U.S. State Department Spokesperson, on Monday (Washington local time) stated that The Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group, primarily operates on the messaging platform Telegram, where it propagates violent white supremacist ideologies. The group not only promotes violence but also solicits attacks against perceived adversaries while providing instructional materials on tactics, methods, and potential targets for attacks. Among the group’s most notorious activities are its glorification of violent extremists and its connections to real-world attacks. These include an October 2022 shooting outside an LGBTQI+ bar in Slovakia, a planned attack on energy facilities in New Jersey in July 2024, and an August 2024 knife attack at a mosque in Türkiye. Additionally, in September 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice charged two leaders of Terrorgram with multiple counts, including soliciting hate crimes and conspiring to support terrorism.
In conjunction with the collective’s designation, three prominent leaders of the Terrorgram group have also been added to the SDGT list. Ciro Daniel Amorim Ferreira, a Brazilian national; Noah Licul, a Croatian national; and Hendrik-Wahl Muller, a South African national, are all accused of leading the group and contributing to its promotion of terrorist activities. As a result of the designation, all U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting transactions with these individuals, and their assets within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked.
The U.S. Department of State's action was taken under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and their affiliates, as well as those who support or carry out acts of terrorism. These designations come as part of a broader U.S. effort to combat the transnational dimensions of REMVE and to fulfill the Biden-Harris Administration's ongoing commitment to countering domestic terrorism, including white identity terrorism. The Administration has been actively addressing this threat since the release of the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism in June 2021, a key policy framework designed to curb the influence of domestic extremist groups linked to violent movements.
Matthew Miller reaffirmed the U.S. government's commitment to countering the growing threat of white supremacist terrorism and preventing these dangerous ideologies from gaining traction globally. He highlighted the importance of cutting off terrorist organizations from financial systems, noting that these designations aim to expose and isolate such groups to prevent them from spreading their violent messages.
This move further solidifies the U.S.'s position in combating the rise of violent extremism worldwide, aiming to protect national security while promoting a safer and more secure global community.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan Al Jubair
