Neo-Nazi groups from across America are conducting paramilitary-style combat training at a secretive Virginia compound, raising urgent questions about why federal authorities aren’t cracking down on organized extremist activity happening in plain sight.
Story Snapshot
- Militant neo-Nazi “active clubs” from Texas, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania traveled to a hidden Lynchburg, Virginia compound for riot-style combat training
- The compound is operated by Wolves of Vinland, a white nationalist hate group designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2018
- Participants include members of Patriot Front and Hammerskins, along with a licensed school teacher and former police officer
- A previous member of the host group was convicted of attempted arson against a historic Black church, causing $1 million in damage
- Extremism experts warn these events represent a “tip-off point for a fascist cultural revolution” and pose serious public safety threats
Organized Extremism on Rural Virginia Property
Members of neo-Nazi “active clubs” from multiple states have gathered at a compound on the outskirts of Lynchburg, Virginia, for organized combat training events. The property is run by the Wolves of Vinland, a Norse neopagan white nationalist organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center added to its hate group list in 2018. Social media posts and group chats documented participants traveling from Texas, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania to attend what organizers describe as riot-style combat sessions. The rural location provides the seclusion these groups need to operate away from public scrutiny.
Disturbing Participant Profile Raises Alarm
The attendees at these training events include members of established white supremacist organizations Patriot Front and Hammerskins, both recognized as extremist groups. More troubling is the participation of individuals in positions of public trust and authority. Investigators identified a licensed school teacher and a former police officer among those receiving combat training alongside avowed neo-Nazis. This infiltration of extremist ideology into education and law enforcement represents a direct threat to community safety. The founder of the active clubs network has explicitly framed these gatherings as preparation for what he calls a “fascist cultural revolution.”
History of Violence Linked to Compound Operators
The Wolves of Vinland group hosting these events has a documented history of violent extremism. In a previous incident that underscores the danger these organizations pose, group member Maurice “Hjalti” Michaely was convicted of attempted arson against Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, a historic Black church in Gainesville, Virginia. Michaely served two years in prison for the attack, which caused $1 million in damage but fortunately resulted in no injuries. The deliberate targeting of a Black community’s place of worship demonstrates the anti-minority violence that motivates these groups. Despite this criminal history, the compound continues operating and hosting interstate gatherings of white nationalist militants.
Federal Inaction Enables Growing Threat
Civil rights experts and monitoring organizations have raised urgent warnings about the public safety implications of these organized training events. The gathering of multiple neo-Nazi networks at a single location for paramilitary-style preparation represents an escalation in extremist activity that demands law enforcement attention. Yet these events continue unimpeded, with participants openly documenting their attendance on social media. The broader impact extends beyond immediate violence risks to the normalization of organized white nationalist activity and the spread of radicalization through affiliated music and cultural scenes. Local Virginia communities, particularly minority residents who remember the church arson attack, face heightened fear while watching federal authorities fail to act decisively against groups openly planning what they describe as revolutionary violence.
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Members of neo-Nazi ‘active clubs’ join combat events at secretive Virginia compound
