Spanish police have arrested a 17-year-old in Gipuzkoa, identifying him as the suspected leader of the extremist group 764 in Spain. The operation followed a series of death threats sent earlier this year to public figures, including Podemos MEP Irene Montero and commentator Sarah Santaolalla. It was carried out jointly by the Guardia Civil and Mossos d’Esquadra, with the Ertzaintza also involved. Sources cited by EL PAÍS report that the teenager is believed to have orchestrated a campaign of intimidation and violent threats targeting individuals and institutions.
Investigators describe 764 as a virtual, transnational network that originated in the United States in 2021. The group is associated with neo-Nazi and satanic elements, as well as pedophilia, and is known for promoting violence and societal collapse. Spanish authorities consider the detained minor the basic figure of 764 in the country. Evidence links him to numerous threats against schools and local governments, as well as libraries, social organizations, and leisure centers between January and April 2026. The threats included warnings of shootings and armed attacks. They were not carried out, but triggered impressive public alarm and required extraordinary security measures.
The distinction between a suspected national figure and the structure of the wider network matters: the FBI has described 764 as decentralized, without formal leaders or a centralized chain of command. Oregon Public Broadcasting, citing the bureau, reported that the network seeks to “sow chaos and help the destruction of society” and glorifies violence and mass killers, while also promoting self-harm. Investigators have examined activity across Discord and other gaming and chat platforms. There, loosely connected groups and aliases can make it difficult to attribute acts to a single command structure.
A report published by La Opinión de A Coruña on October 18, 2026, described 764 as part of the broader transnational environment known as The Com. It said the FBI assessed that the network had affected thousands of children. The publication also reported that Europol’s Compass project had identified 30 arrests in Europe and more than 160 people under investigation. It reported three arrests in Spain in connection with alleged 764 activity over roughly a year. Those broader figures underline the scale of the investigation, while the case against the teenager concerns alleged activity attributed to him in Spain.
Police reports indicate that the suspect also engaged in doxing and swatting against individuals in the Basque Country and Catalonia. Doxing involves collecting and publishing personal data to help harassment or extortion. Swatting means making false emergency calls to provoke a police response at a victim’s address. The investigation found that the minor participated in online chats and gaming platforms, where he manipulated vulnerable youths into extreme acts of humiliation, such as 'blood walls', where victims mark their skin with blood or excrement, and 'cutsigns', which involve self-inflicted cuts. These acts were documented and shared within the group to demonstrate control and gain status.
FBI warnings about networks associated with 764 describe a pattern of coercion. Threats, blackmail, and manipulation are used to pressure young people into producing or sharing harmful material, or livestreaming acts of self-harm and animal cruelty. The reported tactics can escalate after perpetrators obtain compromising images or recordings. In a separate case in Karachi, Pakistani authorities rescued a 14-year-old girl after an international network allegedly coerced her into harming an animal and demanded that she injure herself. The case illustrates how victims and alleged perpetrators may be located in different countries.
During searches of two properties linked to the suspect in Gipuzkoa, authorities seized electronic devices and digital storage. They also took documents related to 764, including handwritten notes with Nazi and satanic symbols. Europol’s latest report on terrorism trends in the EU highlights the danger posed by 764 and similar groups under the umbrella of The Com. It notes their focus on destabilizing social structures and targeting minors for recruitment and abuse. The report says these groups lack a coherent ideology and instead unite around violence and nihilism, alongside misogyny and elements of both far-right and jihadist extremism.
International investigations have also involved cooperation between US and European authorities. In a separate German case, Hamburg prosecutors said police arrested an alleged online offender after receiving information from the FBI concerning the death of a 14-year-old American girl. Prosecutors linked the suspect to Nefarious Maniac Kult, or NMK, which they described as part of the broader network known as 764 or The Com. The arrest forms part of an investigation, and the allegations remain subject to criminal proceedings.
Following his arrest on July 16, a San Sebastián court ordered the minor’s preventive detention in a juvenile facility. Police say the suspect is also linked to a wave of threats sent to public and private entities. Although the threats were never carried out, they forced authorities to deploy additional security resources. The group’s communications often referenced plans to broadcast violent acts live online for other members to witness.
Spanish authorities have prioritized the threat from 764 and similar networks in line with the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Police in other countries have also launched investigations into 764’s activities. These include sextortion and organized harassment, along with the distribution of child exploitation material, incitement to self-harm, and campaigns of intimidation against institutions and individuals. In December, Canada officially designated 764 as a terrorist organization.
Extremist groups like 764 primarily use social media and gaming platforms to reach and recruit minors. Messaging apps are another avenue, and contact often begins with seemingly harmless content tailored to youth culture. Once contact is established, young people are drawn into private groups where more intense manipulation and radicalization occur. Victims may be coerced into producing abusive material or self-harming, and some are pressured to participate in violent acts. The Spanish-led European operation recently identified over 4,300 online links hosting violent propaganda from 764 and related groups.
Online extremist networks targeting minors have become a growing concern across Europe. Spanish law enforcement agencies have increased monitoring of digital platforms and are working with international partners to disrupt recruitment. They are also seeking to prevent the spread of violent content. The case illustrates the challenges authorities face in addressing threats that originate and operate largely in the digital sphere.
