Five men have been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged multi-phase plot to carry out a mass casualty attack on last Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
What began with a concerned mother calling police on her son ended in the thwarting of a terror plot involving drones and snipers aimed at members of U.S. Congress, the government alleges. The FBI says it learned of the threat on June 10, four days before the event.
The plan called for using explosive drones to hit nearby buildings in downtown Washington to force a mass evacuation, turning the crowd toward a pre-staged sniper team. A reported second wave would then have stormed the White House gate.
The event drew an estimated 4,300 attendees, including about 1,200 active-duty service members, as 14 fighters competed Sunday night. President Donald Trump, who attended the event as part of his 80th birthday weekend, was among those present.
The five men charged are Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio; Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, California; Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California; Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri; and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska.
Proper allegedly told federal investigators on June 11 that he intended to “jumpstart” a revolution in the United States with an attack that would begin with drone bombings over the north side of the arena, with co-conspirators taking up sniper positions overlooking southern evacuation routes to shoot “high-value targets,” including U.S. members of Congress.
Investigators later uncovered Signal chats in which multiple people allegedly discussed attacking the UFC event. An initial review of one suspect’s iPhone revealed at least 23 Signal users discussing pre-operational activity. Some participants allegedly planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 to prepare for the attack.
According to investigators, a suspect told them the goal of the attack was to target “capitalist elites,” “billionaires” and politicians who received money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
The investigation ultimately spanned at least 12 FBI field offices. Multiple sources told Fox News the individuals arrested are American citizens and that investigators do not believe there is a foreign nexus to the plot.
FBI Director Kash Patel credited agents and law enforcement partners with acting quickly across multiple states.
“Thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Patel said.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department would aggressively pursue those who plot violence. “We will take immediate and aggressive action to identify and prosecute those who incite and plan acts of violence,” Blanche said.
U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran noted a rising threat landscape facing the agency’s protectees. “The landscape has changed, and as a result we have seen a dramatic rise in threats against our protectees,” Curran said in a statement. “I am proud of the men and women of the Secret Service that vigorously monitor, investigate, and arrest those that plot to interfere with our protective mission.”
If convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds carries a maximum sentence of five years.
As the Justice Department noted, a criminal complaint contains allegations only. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
