US prosecutors have opened criminal proceedings against two alleged leaders of a white supremacist group (those who call for white supremacy over other races) alleging that on the social network Telegram they called for violence against black people, Jews, LGBTQ people and immigrants, in order to provoke race war.

A group called "The Terrorgram Collective" used the site to promote white supremacist attacks around the world and incite violence motivated by racial hatred, according to a statement from federal court in Sacramento, California.

Dallas Humber, 34, of Elk Grove, Calif., and Matthew Allison, 37, of Boise, Idaho, each face 15 felony charges, including inciting hate crimes and conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism. Both are in custody.

The most serious charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The group's goals include attacks on US government officials and critical infrastructure with the aim of causing social collapse in the US, the Department of Justice said.

According to the indictment, Humber and Allison helped create and promote a document justifying the group's ideology that included detailed instructions for terrorist attacks and bomb-making.

Humber and Allison, who became leaders of the group in 2022, also collaborated on a list of "high-value" assassination targets, including a sitting U.S. senator and a federal judge, who were considered enemies of the white supremacist cause.