More than two dozen people
suspected of plotting an armed
coup has been arrested in
Germany ha --
it's executing top government
officials.
Reporter: Under the cover of
night, a plot foiled.
>> Several members of the
parliament --
reporter: 25 people were
arrested, suspected of planning
a coup to overthrow the
government.
All connected to a far right
extremist movement that denies
the legitimacy of the postwar
government.
>> The suspected terrorist group
was founded on fantasies and
conspiracy ideologies.
Reporter: 22 of those arrested
are alleged members of the
group.
Two more were detained in Italy.
The German newspaper identified
two suspected ringleaders.
Police raids were not unusual in
a country haunted by its Nazi
past, but the scale of the
operation was rare.
Officers conducted searches at
130 sites.
The plot was expensive, with a
plan to set up a new state
complete with the military.
>> They provide a glimpse into
the terrorist threat.
Reporter: The past shows the
danger it presents.
In 2020, supporters attempted to
storm the German parliament.
German intelligence believes
21,000 people are involved in
the movement, 5% are seen as
extremists.
Officials are calling the rate a
success for national security
and they have made it clear
tough actions against him is him
must and will continue.
Let's take a look at the forces
behind the plot.
She has tracked extremist
movements for more than two
decades.
Welcome back to newshour.
25 arrested in this case over
130 sites, what is the size and
scale of the operation?
>> This is probably one of the
largest domestic terrorist
operations ever undertaken by
the German intelligence agency.
The movement that these folks
were arrested comes from has
more than 20,000 followers, it
is a pretty large movement.
This is something very serious.
It was a full-fledged coup
attempt.
>> Do you know how close they
were to implementing the plan?
>> It does not seem clear.
Things we now -- know is they
had their own minister of
culture.
We know they had weapons and had
weapons training.
How far they could have gone is
unknown.
>> To see parallels -- do you
see parallels?
>> Is no question the movement
in Germany is similar to some
antigovernment movements.
They would issue their own
drivers licenses, passports,
reject the federal state.
That sounds like our governments
-- antigovernment activists in
the U.S..
They were motivated by qanon.
It has migrated across the world
, including into Germany.
Those links exist, both on the
ideological front and aims of
with these organizations are
trying to achieve.
These people interact with each
other, they share ideas.
Anti-lockdown movements animate
the movement as well.
They share tactics.
Weird filings against judges and
threats against judges and
police officers.
Ghost tactics are used by
antigovernment groups under the
banner of sovereign citizens.
These things are shared.
The idea a deep state exists,
that was one of the motivating
things in Germany.
That's an American idea.
>> German officials were
tracking these words.
-- Groups.
Do you see the same level of
response in the United States?
>> No.
The United States has been
behind the eight ball for some
time dealing with domestic white
supremacist.
During the trump years and
before, these threats were not
taken seriously.
It's changed with Biden.
We have not, until June of 2021
clearly said we need a national
strategy, and that's been a
problem.
Germany has been far ahead of
us.
>> Someone who knows how these
groups operate,, what lesson
should we take away.
>> We need to strengthen the
federal response to this
extremism.
Germans have been more
aggressive in ridding extremism
out of the military, focused on
these kinds of threats.
They have a more elaborate
intelligence operation to keep
track of these individuals.
All of those are things the
American government can learn
from, because these threats are
not disappearing.
>> That is the cofounder of the
global project against hate and