Federal law enforcement agents said they've broken up an attempt by a transnational terrorist to direct the murders of an undisclosed number of government officials.
The Department of Justice said 24-year-old Noah Lamb was charged in California in an eight-count indictment for soliciting the murders of federal officials in connection with his work on a hit list of "high value targets" for assassination.
Along with targeting federal officials, the DOJ said Lamb targeted "local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and nongovernmental organizations." Federal agents said all of those targeted were singled out because of "race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity."
Lamb is described by federal agents as a member of the Terrorgram Collective. It is a transnational terrorist group that the DOJ said maintains a presence on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it shows support for racially and ethnically driven violent extremism.
Telegram promotes its platform as "private" and that messages sent on the site are "heavily encrypted and can self-destruct."
The Institute for Strategic Dialogue reported in March that a series of arrests of collective members affected the group's effectiveness, but "it continues to inspire violence worldwide."
The DOJ said members of the group "believe the white race is superior, that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action," setting up the group's mission to promote "violence and terrorism" and to "ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate."
Lamb faces 85 years in prison if convicted of all charges against him.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.