FBI Arrests Tenn. Neo-Nazis in Plot to Build Paramilitary Unit Targeting “High-Value” Threats
Federal agents have arrested two Tennessee men with ties to a neo-Nazi network, charging them in a plot to assemble a violent paramilitary group capable of attacking what they referred to as “high-value targets,” according to court documents and reporting by NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams.
The arrests on Jan. 20 raise alarm among law enforcement and counter-extremism officials over how far online and on-the-ground extremist networks are willing to go to obtain military-style weapons and training.
According to the federal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, 20-year-old Aiden Daniel Cuevas and 23-year-old Andrew Cole Nary were indicted on conspiracy charges related to trafficking illegal firearms, including fully automatic machine guns with serial numbers removed.
The FBI’s year-long undercover investigation involved multiple meetings where Cuevas discussed training and weapons acquisition with an undercover agent, expressing a desire to prepare for what he described as “urban terrorism” tactics and targeting specialists within a one-to-two-year timeframe.
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“Individuals who seek to bring violence and chaos under the guise of hate will face the full force of federal law,” said an unnamed law enforcement official in court filings.
The complaint also names two others with ties to the Tennessee Active Club — Aiden Stamper and Logan Gulbranson — but neither faces charges at this time.
The charges highlight ongoing federal efforts to identify and disrupt domestic extremist plots involving racial violence and paramilitary activity.
Authorities next plan to hold detention hearings and prosecutors may seek additional charges as the investigation continues.
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