The Civil Guard, the Ertzaintza (Basque Police), and the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police) have carried out a joint operation that culminated in the arrest in Gipuzkoa of a 17-year-old Spanish national. Authorities identify him as the main figure in Spain for the extremist organization 764 , a transnational network that operates primarily online and is dedicated to recruiting and influencing vulnerable children and young people.
According to the Basque Government's Department of Security, the arrested man allegedly sent a large number of threats between January and April 2026 targeting schools, town halls, libraries, social organizations, public bodies, and private individuals. In these messages, he announced shootings, armed attacks, and other violent acts which, although they never materialized, generated significant public alarm and prompted the deployment of extraordinary security measures.
Threats involving live streaming and digital harassment techniques
In all the threats, the detainee referred to his alleged membership in the 764 organization. In some cases, he even claimed that he would livestream the murders he planned to commit via an online platform so that other members of the group could witness them. Among the incidents under investigation are also threats against a well-known entertainment venue and against several individuals.
The investigation revealed that the minor used techniques common in extremist online communities, such as swatting, doxing, and identity theft . The aim was to falsely implicate innocent bystanders to provoke police intervention, create dangerous situations, and divert investigators' attention. As a result of these practices, at least two people—one in the Basque Country and one in Catalonia—were victims of harassment campaigns linked to the events under investigation.
Psychological manipulation and degrading practices
The investigation also revealed that the detainee maintained contact with and participated in online spaces where psychological manipulation of vulnerable children and young people was promoted. These environments fostered extreme humiliation, self-harm, and submission to the will of the recruiters. Among the practices detected were acts of self-harm in which victims were induced to record themselves cutting their arms , even going so far as to write names or aliases related to the recruiters on their skin. References were also found to degrading behaviors, such as forcing certain victims to display messages written in blood or feces, as well as to perform humiliating acts, with the images then being disseminated within the online community as a mechanism of control and subjugation.
Joint investigation over months and origin of the 764 network
The identification of the alleged perpetrator was the result of a months-long joint investigation by the Gipuzkoa Territorial Criminal Investigation Service (SICTG) and the Ertzaintza's Central Sections (SECIC), along with intelligence services from the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police) and the Guardia Civil (Spanish Civil Guard). Following the necessary court authorizations, on July 16th, search warrants were executed at two properties in Gipuzkoa linked to the suspect. During the operation, numerous electronic devices, digital storage media, and various documents of interest related to the criminal activity attributed to the detainee and to the 764 organization were seized. After appearing before a judge, the detainee is being held in pretrial detention at a specialized center under the supervision of the Juvenile Section of the Donostia Court of First Instance.
The 764 network originated in the United States and takes its name from the first three digits of the postal code for Stephenville, Texas, the town where its founder was born. Over the years, it evolved from a fringe online community into an international organization with a presence in several countries. Its members use instant messaging platforms, social media, and spaces frequented by minors to locate and recruit potential victims. Internationally, 764 is considered one of the most dangerous online communities to have emerged in recent years . Various law enforcement agencies have ongoing investigations into its activities, and Canada has designated it a terrorist organization.
Researchers remind us that organizations like 764 actively target vulnerable children and young people on social media, messaging apps, and video game platforms. Recruitment often begins through apparent friendships, affinity groups, or gaming communities, later evolving into manipulation, blackmail, extortion, and isolation. Therefore, it is crucial that families, educators, and children maintain a proactive approach to any suspicious online contact, especially when there are requests for private photos, secret conversations, suggestions of self-harm, or demands to participate in degrading challenges. Early detection and immediate communication with family members, schools, or law enforcement remain the primary tools for preventing young people and adolescents from being recruited by these types of criminal organizations.