Inside America’s Hidden War: The Rise of Homegrown Terror

 

From Basements to Battlefields: The Real Danger of Homegrown Terror

They don’t wave foreign flags. They carry ours. And that’s what makes them so dangerous. Homegrown terrorism in America isn’t some vague threat simmering in the shadows. It’s right here—bold, brazen, and getting deadlier by the year.

     We’re not talking about people sneaking in from overseas. We’re talking about U.S. citizens. People born and raised here. They don’t need training camps in Syria or encrypted codes from overseas handlers. They radicalize in their basements. They plan on message boards. And they strike in broad daylight—in churches, at Walmart, inside the U.S. Capitol.

     You want proof this threat is real? Just look at the Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh, radicalized by anti-government conspiracy theories, loaded a Ryder truck with explosives and parked it outside a federal building. He killed 168 people, including 19 kids. That was 1995—and somehow, we still haven’t learned.

     Fast forward to Charleston in 2015, where Dylann Roof opened fire inside a church, driven by white supremacist ideology. In Pittsburgh, it was a synagogue. In El Paso, it was Hispanic shoppers at Walmart. In each case, the killers were Americans, driven by hate, armed to the teeth, and determined to leave a body count.

     The deadliest terrorism threat in the U.S. today? It’s not al-Qaeda. It’s not ISIS. It’s the guy next door who believes the government is illegitimate, that immigrants are invaders, or that a race war is coming. White supremacy and anti-government militancy have become the new faces of domestic terror. And their reach? It's not shrinking—it’s spreading.

     These attackers aren’t hiding in caves. They’re blending into our neighborhoods, radicalizing online, and turning their anger into violence right here at home. And sometimes, fiction mirrors fact a little too closely. In my spy thriller short story, Operation Skyfall, CIA operative Corey Pearson uncovers a plan by the Iron Frontier Militia—a radical homegrown terrorist group—to use shoulder-fired missiles bought from international arms dealers. Their target? A commercial flight packed with over 300 people, including VIPs. Sound far-fetched? Think again. In real life, groups like the Boogaloo Bois and Atomwaffen Division have already crossed the line from online hate to real-world violence.

     Take Atomwaffen, for example. A neo-Nazi outfit that advocates for total societal collapse. One of their members, Samuel Woodward, was charged with murdering Blaze Bernstein—a gay, Jewish student in California. It wasn’t random. It was targeted, ideological, and terrifyingly premeditated.

     Then there’s the Proud Boys. These aren’t just some angry dudes shouting at rallies. They coordinated via encrypted apps and played a key role in storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. That wasn’t just chaos—it was seditious conspiracy. Over 1,200 people have been charged. More than 100 law enforcement officers were injured that day. That’s not protest. That’s domestic warfare.

     And don’t forget the Boogaloo movement. They thrive on chaos. During a protest in Oakland in 2020, Air Force sergeant Steven Carrillo used the unrest as cover to murder federal officer Dave Patrick Underwood. He later ambushed sheriff's deputies. These aren’t isolated incidents. These are warning shots.

     In Operation Skyfall, Corey Pearson walks into the CIA’s Langley headquarters and meets with Deputy Director Frank Kimble. What he learns sends a chill through him: encrypted chatter out of Venezuela ties a shipment of Russian-made missiles to a U.S.-based militia. Kimble calls it what it is—an imminent domestic terror plot.

     Corey’s job? Infiltrate the group, piece together the clues, and stop the attack before 300 people fall from the sky.   The fiction is fast paced, but the blueprint mirrors real-world threats. Domestic extremists are no longer lone wolves—they’re networks, ideologies, and arsenals hiding in plain sight.

     Groups like the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, and Patriot Front have been building and recruiting for years. They wear American flags, speak of patriotism, and preach revolution. But their actions—storming government buildings, stockpiling weapons, and promoting violence—tell the truth. They are anti-government, anti-democracy, and deeply dangerous.

     Why should you care? Because they don’t just target “the system.” They target people—churchgoers, shoppers, voters, kids in schools. Their violence is random, sudden, and meant to send a message: fear. And no one is immune. Not you, not your family, not your community.

     In Operation Skyfall the showdown hits a warehouse near Miami International Airport. Corey and his team barely get there in time. The missiles are locked and loaded. The group’s plan is unfolding. But this time, the good guys win—barely. In the real world, there’s no guarantee of a last-minute save.

     We’re already seeing the numbers: over 85% of all extremist murders in the U.S. in the last decade were committed by right-wing extremists. Domestic terrorism tips? 23,000+ investigated by the FBI in a single year. White supremacist propaganda incidents surged 40% in 2023 alone.

     So no, this isn’t hype. It’s happening. Homegrown terrorism isn’t just a law enforcement challenge—it’s a mirror held up to our society. These attackers are our neighbors, our former classmates, the guy who works down the hall. Radicalized by hate, misinformation, and disillusionment. And while we pour billions into defending against foreign threats, the real danger might already be parked in someone’s driveway.

     We need to stop pretending this is someone else’s problem. If we don’t confront the hate brewing inside our own borders—if we don’t disrupt the networks, stop the radicalization, and deal with the ideology—it won’t be a matter of if another attack happens. It’ll be when.

     Because homegrown terrorists don’t need to cross oceans. They just need to cross the street.

 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and an accomplished author. He writes the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster Short Story series, blending his knowledge of real-life intelligence operations with gripping fictional storytelling. His work offers readers an insider’s glimpse into the world of espionage, inspired by the complexities and high-stakes realities of the intelligence community.