CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A San Antonio man who served as an administrator and online leader of a Nihilistic Violent Extremist group tied to the 764 network was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in federal prison for racketeering and multiple counts of child sexual exploitation.
Alexis Aldair Chavez, 19, also known online as "Zack" and "Zack8884," was sentenced to 40 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2025, to one count of racketeering, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Chavez led the "8884" network, a group connected to the broader 764 extremist network. Members of these Nihilistic Violent Extremist, or NVE, groups share accelerationist goals that include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. government. Members work in concert to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.
NVEs engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals rooted in a hatred of society and a desire to bring about its collapse through chaos, destruction, and social instability. Members demand, coerce, and extort victims into a range of violent conduct, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.
Court documents detail a series of crimes Chavez committed beginning in October 2023. Chavez and a co-conspirator attempted to have a minor female kill herself during a video chat by overdosing on pills. The two recorded the attempted suicide to obtain "content" that would allow them to maintain and increase their status within 8884.
Approximately 2 months later, Chavez and the minor female victim worked together to coerce a female located overseas to strip naked on camera, cut herself, and engage in sexual acts. They also extorted another female by forcing her to cut the name "Zack" into herself.
Around Dec. 29, 2023, Chavez and a co-conspirator coerced another minor female to cut her tongue and torture and kill a cat on a live video call. That same month, Chavez and another co-conspirator groomed and extorted several other minor females. In one instance, the conspirators coerced a female victim to light her arm on fire during a recorded video chat within the 8884 channel. They also forced another minor female victim to drink her own urine and attempt to overdose on unknown pills.
On or about Jan. 23, 2024, Chavez and a co-conspirator threatened and coerced a minor female victim to engage in sexually obscene activities and other egregious acts. He was arrested on Oct. 24, 2024.
"Chavez's crimes reveal the ruthless exploitation and manipulation at the core of NVE groups," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said. "These organizations target children as part of their broader mission to spread terror. These groups ultimately seek nothing less than the destruction of our society. NSD will use every resource at its disposal to identify and prosecute 764-linked criminality and to protect the most innocent among us from these predators."
"What Alexis Chavez and other members of these Nihilistic Violent Extremist groups have done to the vulnerable children they target is among the most disturbing conduct this office has prosecuted," U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas said. "Parents need to know what their children are doing online and must stay engaged, ask difficult questions, and not fall into the trap of believing their child is 'just playing games' or 'just talking with their friends.' There is darkness present within many people in this world that want nothing more than to see the United States and western civilization fail. There is no limit to the actions these individuals will take to accomplish that goal, including torturing and abusing children. Regardless of one's inherent motivations, our office and our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels investigate and prosecute these cases with absolute dedication because protecting our children is not just a priority; it is the priority."
"Nothing is more abhorrent than those who prey on children and other vulnerable members of our society and this defendant will pay a steep price for doing just that," Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division said. "The FBI has made it a high priority to identity and arrest Nihilistic Violent Extremists who coerce juveniles into horrific acts of self-harm. We will never let up on our efforts and will continue working closely with our Justice Department partners to ensure these predators are held accountable."
"This sentencing demonstrates the FBI's unwavering resolve to identify, hunt down, investigate, and prosecute criminals like Chavez who prey on children through violent online networks, including 764, and orchestrate horrific, unspeakable acts of exploitation and violence," Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith of the FBI San Antonio Field Office said. "These predators use social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, chat rooms, and video services to groom vulnerable children. Staying engaged in your child's online life, maintaining open communication, recognizing the warning signs, and reporting suspicious online activity to law enforcement are critical to stopping these offenders. The FBI will use every lawful authority at our disposal to dismantle these criminal networks and hold offenders accountable because no child should ever become the next victim of these predators."
The FBI San Antonio Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Bill Harris for the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Parents and caregivers seeking resources on how to protect children from online threats can visit the FBI's resources page and review the FBI's March 2025 public service announcement.
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