A 19-year-old leader of the nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) group “764” has pleaded guilty to child exploitation and charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the FBI said in a Dec. 23 post on X.

764 is a criminal network that methodically targets and exploits minors. Members engage in blackmail and manipulation to coerce or extort minors to commit sexual acts, animal cruelty, and suicide. The RICO Act, enacted in 1970, targets organized crime syndicates.

The individual who pleaded guilty, Alexis Aldair Chavez, “was a leader of an online network where members worked towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors,” the FBI said.

“Chavez and co-conspirators groomed and extorted minor victims to engage in a variety of violent conduct, including self-mutilation and other egregious acts. The #FBI remains vigilant against the threat of NVE networks that operate within the U.S. and around the globe.”

In a Dec. 19 statement, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said that in or about October 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator attempted to get a minor girl to kill herself over video chat by overdosing on pills and recorded this act to increase their status in the criminal network.

Chavez worked with others, often victims, to harm themselves through bodily mutilation, torture animals, or engage in sexual acts.

Commenting on the case, acting special agent in charge Alex Doran from the FBI San Antonio Field Office said that it highlights the risks faced by children in today’s online environment, according to the FBI post.

“Let this serve as a clear warning: online anonymity does not shield criminals from justice,” he said.

In a Dec. 24 post on X, FBI Director Kash Patel commended FBI San Antonio, the DOJ, and other law enforcement partners for the arrest and for continuing to work toward dismantling the 764 network.

In an Aug. 28 post, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said that the activities of 764 were resulting in “some of the most sadistic online enticement reports” it had ever seen.

In one case, the mother of a child exploited by a 764 member told the center that the criminal pushed her daughter to cut the individual’s screen name into her arm.

The individual then told the child she was a “good girl” and that they loved her. The girl, to her mother’s surprise, replied, “I love you, too!” according to the organization.

“These guys are very scary,” the mother said. “Just the power they have over my daughter is mind blowing. Please help!”

In an interview with The Epoch Times’ Jan Jekielek late last month, Patel said that arrests of members belonging to the 764 network were up by nearly 500 percent year over year.

“That’s how hard we’re going after this disgusting group of individuals, these criminals, and we’re not going to stop until we safeguard the online community,” he said.

In a Dec. 23 post on X, Patel detailed the results of a “massive” two-week takedown of child sex predators conducted by the agency under Operation Relentless Justice.

The operation was a coordinated enforcement action that took place from Dec. 3 to Dec. 17 and was aimed at identifying, tracking, and arresting predators across the nation, according to an infographic shared with the post.

Under the operation, the FBI made 155 arrests, and the state arrested 138 individuals, with 205 innocent victims located or identified.

The operation involved the participation of all 56 FBI field offices as well as U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country, the DOJ said in a Dec. 22 statement.

“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said.

“Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”