A 26-year-old South African man, Hendrick-Wahl Muller, finds himself at the centre of an international controversy after the United States government sanctioned him for his alleged role as an administrator of the Terrorgram Collective, a white supremacist terrorist group. The announcement, made by the US Department of State on Monday, has left Muller vehemently denying any involvement.
The Department of State’s statement identified Muller, along with Brazilian national Ciro Daniel Amorim Ferreira and Croatian national Noah Licul, as leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a channel primarily operating on the Telegram messaging app.
"Ciro Daniel Amorim Ferreira, Noah Licul, and Hendrik-Wahl Muller are being designated for being leaders of The Terrorgram Collective," the department declared. The sanctions mean all of their assets under US jurisdiction are frozen, and US citizens are prohibited from conducting any transactions with them.
According to the Department of State, Muller and Amorim served as administrators of the channel, while Licul held a senior position within the group. The statement detailed the group's activities, stating that Terrorgram promotes violent white supremacism, encourages attacks on perceived adversaries, and provides instructional materials on tactics, methods, and targets for attacks, including critical infrastructure and government officials. The group also glorifies individuals who have carried out such attacks.
The Department of State cited several incidents allegedly linked to Terrorgram users, including an October 2022 shooting outside an LGBTQI+ bar in Slovakia; a planned July 2024 attack on energy facilities in New Jersey; and an August 2024 knife attack at a mosque in Türkiye. These incidents, the department claims, were motivated and facilitated by the group.
Muller, residing in the Western Cape, strongly refutes the allegations. Speaking to News24, he expressed astonishment at the US government's accusations.
"I am not affiliated to any terrorist group of any kind. I think it's a matter of mistaken identity, or it could be sick joke that someone is trying to play, or someone may have spread rumours about me," he stated.
He further revealed that he has contacted the Department of State to clarify the situation and is working to have his name removed from the sanctions list.
"I do not know any Brazilians or Croatians, and I don't know any of the people listed along with my name. I contacted the State Department, and the matter is pending at the moment, but we're in the process of getting my name removed (from the sanctions list)," he explained.
The US Department of Justice previously indicted two US-based Terrorgram leaders on 15 counts, including soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. This indictment, issued in September 2024, further underscores the seriousness of the allegations against the group.
The US Department of State’s statement emphasised its deep concern about the global threat of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and its commitment to combating transnational elements of violent white supremacism. "The United States remains deeply concerned about the racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist threat worldwide and committed to countering transnational components of violent white supremacism," the department stated.
This case follows previous US sanctions against alleged ISIS members in South Africa in July 2024. The US Treasury Department then identified Abubakar Swalleh as an active South Africa and Zambia-based ISIS operative, Zayd Gangat as a South Africa-based ISIS facilitator and trainer, and Hamidah Nabagala (based in the DRC) as a key operative. These individuals were described as key financiers and trusted operatives enabling ISIS activities across central, eastern, and southern Africa, serving as crucial links between various ISIS operations.
"They also serve as critical links between far-flung ISIS operations, including ISIS affiliates in the DRC, Mozambique, Somalia, and ISIS cells in South Africa," the Treasury Department stated.
The Muller case, however, highlights a different facet of the global terrorism threat, focusing on the activities of a white supremacist group with alleged international reach. The discrepancies between Muller’s denials and the US government's accusations promise a protracted legal battle and further investigation into the activities of the Terrorgram Collective.
