Five men have been arrested and accused of conspiring through an online group to carry out an attack at a UFC event on the White House lawn, with court records showing that some of the alleged targets were politicians linked by the suspects to “pro-Israel lobby” money.
The defendants were identified as 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.
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Tycen Proper, 19, allegedly planned a drone and sniper attack on the White House
( Photo: Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.)
Authorities said the investigation remains active and that additional suspects may still be at large.
“This is still an active, ongoing investigation. Just because we’re done with Freedom 250 or that particular event doesn’t mean we’re going to stop. There are still suspects at large. We’re going to work it until everyone’s been identified,” said Matthew Quinn, deputy director of the Secret Service.
Court records show the FBI believes the group was targeting President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and others during the UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House’s South Lawn.
The alleged plot, which authorities say was disrupted before it could be carried out, involved staging a demonstration near the White House, flying drones loaded with explosive devices toward the UFC arena, and then using snipers and shooters to attack fleeing crowd members and “high value targets,” according to the federal complaint.
The new details shift the focus from the fact that the plot was foiled to the identities, ideology and alleged target selection of the suspects. Investigators say the group discussed government corruption, the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, data centers and anti-government, ultra-religious views. Several alleged messages also focused on lawmakers who had received pro-Israel PAC funding.
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Suspects Bryan Omar Roa, right, and Michael Thomas, with messages from the secret Signal chat
According to the complaint, Proper allegedly named Sen. Marsha Blackburn as a “possible target,” saying, “she's taken money from the pro Israel lobby and supports them.” He also allegedly sent images of Sen. Jim Justice, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Rep. Carol Miller and Rep. Riley Moore, along with information about their pro-Israel PAC funding, writing: “these are people we're going to focus on.”
Investigators also believe Alvarez, who allegedly used the name “Shepherd” in the group chat, referred to Trump, Vance and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as potential targets.
Proper, the 19-year-old Ohio suspect, was arrested in Knox County and is being held in the Franklin County Jail. He faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder of a U.S. officer or employee, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony.
His father briefly spoke with WLWT outside the family home, saying the family was not making a statement at this time. He said he planned to speak with his son before making any public comments.
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents first learned of the possible threat last Wednesday, four days before the UFC event.
According to the federal complaint, the investigation into Proper began when his mother called police and said her son had met people online and planned “recons” with them. His family told authorities that Proper allegedly used $3,000 of his graduation money to buy an AR-style rifle, magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition, ballistic plates and camping gear.
The family also said he had “quit his job” to prepare for an upcoming “mission” and planned to leave the following weekend to meet people he had met online.
Proper was taken to the hospital that night for an emergency admission over “homicidal ideations.” The next day, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office contacted the FBI.
Authorities said the group of about 20 people called itself the “Vanguard of the old” and began communicating in March through TikTok. The complaint says the group included people who described themselves as “ex-military, Christian-based” and expressed “anti-government, ultra-religious sentiments.”
Proper’s mother told investigators the group was “using religion to manipulate and influence her son.”
Some members, including Proper, later moved to Signal, an encrypted messaging app, through a main chat of “approximately 19 individuals” and smaller side chats, authorities said.
According to the complaint, the group was divided into “three tiers,” with “Tier 1” members required to meet physical fitness standards and obtain body armor and firearms. Proper was allegedly identified as one of the team leaders.
When questioned, Proper allegedly admitted to a planned attack targeting the UFC event on the White House lawn. He allegedly told officials he was “not going to the protest in order to shoot people,” but said several other members were intent on violence.
The alleged plan called for members to meet in Fredericksburg, Virginia, then stage a demonstration on the north side of the White House. They allegedly planned to fly drones “loaded with explosive devices” over the north side of the UFC arena and detonate them.
Once the crowd dispersed, investigators say, the group planned to use “snipers and shooters” to attack fleeing crowd members and high-value targets. The attack was allegedly discussed as a “jumpstart” to “a revolution” in the United States, with members planning to escape using the Potomac River to reach a “safe house.”
Evidence gathered from Proper’s phone allegedly included detailed messages, maps and images of the Capitol area.
The other suspects are accused of similar roles in the alleged plot.
According to a federal complaint against Roa, law enforcement searched his California home and allegedly found a rifle, handgun, tactical belt, ammunition, a rifle magazine, a two-way radio and an infrared laser target pointer. A search of his phone allegedly uncovered messages discussing the planned attack, as well as videos Roa posted of himself shooting guns.
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Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn, allegedly identified as a target by Tycen Proper
(Photo: AP)
Thomas, also arrested in California, is accused of participating in the group chat and allegedly writing: “$1300 gets us the drones and the charges. Yes we should all pitch in and we need it asap…”
Thomas is also accused of helping establish the group’s tier structure. In one message cited in the complaint, he allegedly wrote: “Tier one status is not something to take lightly. … We will make sure they have…All the tier 2 support we can provide. We will try to break them out of jail if we need to.”
In the same chats, Thomas allegedly discussed meeting Roa in Southern California for “marksmen training” and said the group needed to train for “gorilla style warfare,” an apparent misspelling of guerrilla warfare.
A search of Thomas’ home led to the seizure of a rifle, 30-round extended magazines, 180 rounds of ammunition and a pistol, authorities said.
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President Donald Trump walks alongside UFC CEO Dana White at the White House UFC event
(Photo: Karyn NISHIMURA/ AFP)
Eskridge, charged in Missouri, is accused of discussing “targets” in the alleged plot and allegedly suggesting that one target was “big and someone a majority of the country knows.” He also allegedly posted photos of tactical equipment, including a rifle, helmet and ballistic vest.
Alvarez, charged in Nebraska, was identified by investigators as a participant in the group chat and allegedly used the name “Shepherd.” According to the complaint, he was involved in planning, organizing and directing the alleged attack. In one June message cited by authorities, Shepherd allegedly wrote: “This is the best action I see. Position your teams in the purple dots (counter sniper and drones) Long range (circled area) (great shot) Easy out into the river.”
Shepherd also allegedly replied to another member discussing drones with explosives: “As many and as deadly as we can get.” Authorities said he claimed he was working on drones, had one drone and was trying to obtain more.
He also allegedly shared photos and directions to a “safe zone” at an old church in Nebraska, instructing other members to take back roads or the river to a “pick up location.”
Speaking to reporters Tuesday in Évian-les-Bains, France, where he was attending the G7 summit, Trump said he had not been briefed on the thwarted plot.
Court documents do not make clear how close the suspects were to carrying out the alleged attack. Authorities said some elements of the plan were still being assembled when investigators intervened.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 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 penalty of five years in prison.