Suspects charged with plot to attack White House UFC event

WASHINGTON - The US Justice Department has charged five people in connection with an alleged plot to use explosives and snipers to target wealthy people and prominent politicians who attended a UFC fight on June 14 on the White House lawn.

All five individuals have been arrested in connection with the planned plot, which never transpired, and are in custody, according to a Justice Department spokesperson. There are ongoing investigations into other potential co-conspirators, the spokesperson said.

The alleged plot represents the latest example of attempted attacks against President Donald Trump and other prominent individuals. A California man was charged with storming a Washington gala dinner in April with firearms to target senior US government officials, including the president.

Trump hosted the Ultimate Fighting Championship showcase on the White House South Lawn as he celebrated his 80th birthday and to mark the country’s 250th anniversary.

The Justice Department released criminal complaints and affidavits on June 16 describing the alleged plot, which involved using drones carrying explosives to be detonated over the UFC crowd, forcing them to run toward snipers.

According to court records, the government has charged Tycen Proper, 19, of Ohio, with conspiracy to commit crimes against the government, attempted murder of a government employee, and weapons offences.

Four other co-conspirators, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska, Daniel Kenely Eskridge of Missouri, Bryan Omar Roa of California, and Michael Alan Thomas of California, have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

An attorney for Alvarez declined to comment. Attorneys for Proper and Eskridge didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The dockets for Roa and Thomas are sealed and their attorneys aren’t yet known.

Proper said in chats obtained by the government that targets of the attack would include Senators Jim Justice, Marsha Blackburn and Shelley Moore Capito as well as Representatives Carol Miller and Riley Moore, according to an affidavit from the FBI. He referenced donations from pro-Israel groups to lawmakers, the government said.

The lawmakers reacted with a mix of relief and concern to the news of the plot.

Justice, of West Virginia, said on June 16 his team was briefed by the FBI, and said it would not affect how he conducted his business.

“We’re always vigilant, we’re always concerned, but at the same time, I’m not gonna live my life being afraid,” he said in a brief interview at the Capitol. “I’m gonna keep doing my job.”

Blackburn, of Tennessee, said in a posting on X that “it is incredibly chilling that this suspect named me as a potential target along with other lawmakers.”

“I will not let maniacs like this one deter me from celebrating or serving this great nation, and I am grateful to law enforcement for keeping us safe,” she said.

Capito, of West Virginia, told reporters at the Capitol that the political environment is very angry and expressed relief that law enforcement is “on top of it, and they have the intelligence, and the manpower, and the ability to disrupt” plots such as the one around the UFC fight.

She was also bothered by the reference to her support from American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. “Aggression towards me personally is astounding,” she said.

Moore and Miller, both of West Virginia, said they were grateful for local and federal law enforcement officers who acted swiftly to disrupt the planned attack.

“We must have zero tolerance for radicals who pedal antisemitism and violence,” Miller said. “Anyone who seeks to do harm will be caught and punished.”

In a statement on X, Moore said he would pray for the perpetrators in hopes they would “have a conversion of the heart.”

Proper’s mother contacted local law enforcement on the evening of June 10 because she was concerned about her son, “due to his recent conduct, including firearms purchases and communicating with certain individuals online,” according to the affidavit.

“Members of the group believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt,” according to the affidavit. “Some expressed a desire that people who were involved with Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the country.”

The affidavit claims Proper and the co-conspirators hoped to “jumpstart” a revolution in the US.

Federal law enforcement obtained Signal chats in which nearly 20 users allegedly discussed pre-operational activity targeting the event. The chat logs don’t indicate whether the participants actually acquired drones or explosives.

The Secret Service’s deputy director, Matthew Quinn, said at an unrelated press conference that the agency had led the investigation and that the plot involved drones, snipers and “other techniques” he declined to specify, citing the integrity of the ongoing investigation.

Quinn said suspects remain at large and agents are continuing to work the case. “Just because we’re done with Freedom 250 doesn’t mean we’re going to stop,” he said.

The event was never at risk and canceling it was never considered, Quinn said, though he acknowledged security measures around the perimeter were more extensive than usual.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel praised the operation on X.

“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.

The White House complex, Trump and high-profile events associated with the president have been targeted in recent years. In addition to the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April, political violence has included a 2024 incident where Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and an assassination attempt at his golf club in Florida.

Recent months have also seen gunmen killed after attempting to breach the security perimeter at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and a shooting near a security checkpoint at the White House. Trump has downplayed some of the more recent attempts, saying he remained confident in the Secret Service and wanted to continue public events – while arguing that the attacks also justified construction of a new ballroom on White House grounds with additional security and medical facilities.

“We are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens – particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight,” Patel wrote.

A conviction for conspiracy to commit murder carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. BLOOMBERG