including extremists white supremacist And Seema Livestreamer I've landed in Los Angeles amidst wildfire There they are LARPing to gain followers, be active on social media, solicit donations and, experts claim, recruit new members, while in some cases posing as emergency workers.
Last weekend Ryan Sanchez and three other members of his Nationalist Network group set up shop at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier. Sanchez, who was Caught on video giving Nazi salute During last year's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he and his entourage made the overnight trip from Arizona, where he lives.
Sanchez, who was a member of the now-defunct white supremacist fight club known as rise above the movementAn associate of white supremacist Nick Fuentes and sometimes known by his online alias “Culture War Criminal”.
Sanchez, who did not respond to WIRED's requests for comment, claims on his social media accounts that his group “got more support than expected” and said all donations were given to the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, which There is a building. Housing veterans as well as donors associated with the military and veterans affairs. (It did not respond to a request to confirm whether Sanchez's group had made the donation.)
While Sanchez and his colleagues claim they're in L.A. to do good, experts tracking the activities of far-right groups tell WIRED that they're really just doing good for society to further their own agenda. Engage in “disaster tourism” to increase. ,
“Based on a lot of their past activities, this is probably being used as a recruitment effort,” says Freddy Cruz of the program, which has been happening a lot since last year, where fa-right groups engage in disaster tourism. Are.” Manager for monitoring and training at the Western States Center. “We saw it with Hurricane Helene, and now we're seeing it again. These groups are essentially traveling to disaster areas simply to preach, solicit donations, and in some cases actually steal donations from people on the ground.
On Monday, Sanchez said that although his group is no longer collecting items for relief efforts, he is still interested in meeting potential new recruits.
“We will not be accepting any more donations tomorrow, but if you are still interested in volunteering, contact us,” Sanchez wrote on Telegram and X on Sunday morning.
The donation link that Sanchez posted on his Telegram channel is directly linked to his personal Cash App account, and it is not clear where any of the donated money was going, although Sanchez himself suggested that it be used. His group's travel and accommodation was being financed.
“The crisis continues in Los Angeles, with strong winds expected in the coming days. Thank you for your support, the Nationalist Network will continue to be here for our fellow Americans,” Sanchez wrote on his Telegram and X accounts on Monday, before asking for further donations. “If you would like to help feed our workers and fight Are.''