FBI arrests five men over alleged plot to attack UFC event at White House

The FBI thwarted a plot targeting Sunday's UFC event at the White House and arrested five men, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.

One suspect was arrested in Ohio last week. Investigators reviewed encrypted messages involving other alleged conspirators. Prosecutors said in charging documents that the men had expressed ultra-religious and antigovernment sentiments.

The suspects were identified as Tycen C Proper, 19, who was arrested in Ohio, along with Bryan Omar Roa, 24, and Michael Alan Thomas, 32, both of California, Daniel K Eskridge, 32, of Missouri, and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, of Nebraska. Each has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, the Justice Department said.

Prosecutors said the plotters planned to use drones to spark panic and draw the crowd toward a sniper team. A second wave of attackers would then storm the White House gate, according to court documents.

An estimated 4,300 people attended the invite-only event on the South Lawn, with another 85,000 watching nearby.

Court filings said the group eyed potential targets that included President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elon Musk, as well as several elected officials.

The plot came to light after Proper's mother contacted authorities on June 10. She was concerned about his firearms purchases and his online communications with a group that claimed to include former military members.

The group allegedly wanted to jumpstart a revolution by shooting high-value targets at the UFC fight. They discussed grievances about government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centers and other government actions, prosecutors said.

Group members said they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction. They also believed the country needed to be torn down so it could be rebuilt, an FBI document said.

During an FBI interview on June 11, Proper admitted to planning the attack. He said the group began communicating in March through a TikTok group called Vanguard of the Old. Members who were vetted moved to discussions on the encrypted app Signal, prosecutors said.

Thomas allegedly described a four-tiered operation. The top tier would carry out the attack and go into hiding, while a fourth tier would include funders and influencers.

The documents described other chats in which group members discussed assassinating US lawmakers and business executives. Some lawmakers were suggested based on a belief that they accepted money from pro-Israel lobbies.

Alvarez was responsible for planning the UFC attack and worked on drones, the Justice Department said. The suspects distributed maps of Washington highlighting sniper locations and drone launch points.

Proper told investigators he was not going to the event to shoot people, but several other members were intent on violence.

At a briefing on Tuesday, Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn called the threat serious but said the investigation was ongoing. President Trump said he had not heard about the plot when asked during the G7 summit in France.

Each suspect faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. Proper faces three additional charges, including conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds.