Spanish police have arrested a 17-year-old in Gipuzkoa who is considered the leading figure in Spain of Network 764, a transnational extremist organisation that operates online and targets vulnerable minors and young people.
The joint operation was carried out by the Ertzaintza, the Mossos d’Esquadra and the Guardia Civil, according to the Basque Government’s Department of Security.
Between January and April 2026, the suspect allegedly sent dozens of threats to schools, local councils, libraries, social associations and public bodies. The messages announced shootings, armed attacks and killings to be broadcast live, causing widespread alarm and forcing the deployment of exceptional security measures across several municipalities in the Basque Country and Catalonia. Investigators said the suspect claimed he would livestream killings so that other members of the network could watch.
According to El Diario Vasco, the investigation found that the suspect used swatting, doxing and identity theft to falsely implicate innocent people and divert attention from investigators. At least two people, one in the Basque Country and one in Catalonia, suffered harassment campaigns linked to the case.
Investigators also found that the suspect participated in digital spaces where psychological manipulation was practised on vulnerable minors, including coercing victims into self-harm and producing degrading content that was shared within the online community as a means of control.
Network linked to serious crimes in multiple countries
Network 764, whose name comes from the postal code of Stephenville, Texas, has been investigated in several countries in connection with offences including sextortion, organised harassment, child sexual exploitation, incitement to self-harm and campaigns of threats against institutions and individuals.
On 16 July, under judicial authorisation, police searched two properties in Gipuzkoa linked to the suspect, seizing electronic devices, storage media and documentation related to Network 764. The teenager has since been placed in a specialist detention facility. The case is being handled by the Juvenile Section of the Court of First Instance in Donostia.
