Drugs, Weapons, and Aryan Strikeforce
Group Profile
Aryan Strikeforce was a neo-Nazi organization founded by Ian Davison before his arrest on terrorism charges in the UK in 2009. The group was revived in Davison’s absence in New Jersey by Joshua Steever who embedded the group into a national network of white power groups. Despite claims of having over 30 chapters in the United States and abroad, there is limited evidence of Aryan Strikeforce’s presence outside New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The group was officially designated as a terrorist entity in Canada in 2021 following the arrest of Steever and five other members on drug and weapons trafficking charges in 2017.
Keep reading to find out more about how Aryan Strikeforce raised and obfuscated their illicit funds.
Origins and Operations
Aryan Strikeforce was created in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2010. In 2013, Joshua Steever, a former member of Combat 18 and founder of Aryan Terror Brigade, established a new version of the Aryan Strikeforce after being expelled from his previous group. Over time, the group claimed to establish chapters in the UK and the US, with connections in Eastern Europe, South America, South Africa, and Canada.
The group promoted a decentralized structure and advocated for violent action to overthrow governments and incite racial conflict. In 2016, the group was reportedly involved in planning a suicide bombing targeting counter-protesters during a white supremacist rally in Pennsylvania. Other than the plot, Aryan Strikeforce members primarily engaged in various criminal activities, including the production of chemical weapons, the transfer of bomb-making instructions, and trafficking firearms.
Group members also collaborated with National Socialist Movement leader Jeff Schoep to form the Aryan National Alliance (ANA). This coalition brought together over 20 white supremacist groups across the US and Canada. This effort aimed to consolidate and coordinate the activities of various extremist organizations, including Aryan Nations and the National Socialist Movement.
