The information suggests members of The Base are hiding Patrik Mathews , 26, whose whereabouts have been the focus of much speculation . Mathews allegedly crossed into the U.S. illegally from his native Manitoba with the help of the group, which has since taken steps to conceal his location.

According to information VICE has learned from confidential sources, a U.S.-based neo-Nazi terrorist group is currently harboring a missing ex-soldier from Canada.

Mathews went missing after being outed as a recruiter and organizer for The Base by Winnipeg Free Press reporter Ryan Thorpe. Federal authorities raided his home and seized multiple firearms. The former soldier was last seen by his family on August 24 with his abandoned car found less than 10 miles from the American border shortly thereafter.

The news illustrates how The Base, previously a mostly online collective of hardcore neo-Nazis, is evolving into a bonafide terror network with a recruitment structure, a paramilitary training apparatus, and the capacity to covertly ferry members across international borders to fit its insurgent ambitions.

While not charged with any crimes, U.S. police warned the public not to approach Mathews if he was spotted. When asked about the current status of Mathews, the FBI declined to comment.

The RCMP, the Canadian federal police, wouldn’t comment on Mathews’ presence in the U.S., reiterating the former soldier was still the subject of a missing person's investigation and urging anyone with information on his location to contact them. A source in the Department of National Defence in Canada confirmed to VICE that military intelligence has an open investigation into Mathews.

VICE, which obtained the encrypted contacts for The Base, requested comment multiple times, but never received a response from the group. Soon after those messages were sent, two social media accounts affiliated to The Base posted a death threat against a VICE journalist.