Five Individuals Charged in Foiled Plot to Attack White House During UFC Event

Authorities have charged at least five individuals following the discovery of a plot to attack the White House during a scheduled Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event. The investigation began after a 19-year-old Ohio man confessed to investigators last week that he and several accomplices had planned a coordinated assault on the premises, according to newly unsealed court documents.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrests via social media, stating that multiple suspects are currently in custody and that the planned attacks were “stopped cold.”

The unsealed charging documents detail an ambitious plan involving rifles and explosive-laden drones. However, the documents suggest the conspirators may have lacked the full capacity to execute the attack; while the men possessed several firearms, investigators did not find any explosives or the necessary drones.

Tycen Proper, the 19-year-old suspect, told investigators he had coordinated the plot with friends met online. The group was reportedly driven by a belief that the United States “needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt,” with some members expressing a desire to remove government officials they linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

According to the filings, Proper intended to bring an AR-15 rifle, ammunition, tactical vests, and ballistic plates. The strategy involved detonating explosive drones over the north side of the outdoor UFC arena to drive the crowd southward, where other group members would act as snipers and fire upon the fleeing spectators.

Additional suspects include Daniel K. Eskridge of Missouri, who allegedly discussed constructing drones and attempting to steal explosives from military facilities. In California, Michael Alan Thomas reportedly admitted to helping plan the attack and encouraging others’ participation, while another suspect, Bryan Omar Roa, denied involvement, claiming he intended only to travel to Washington for a protest.

Abraham Alvarez of Nebraska was also arrested. Investigators state that Alvarez used the alias “Shepherd” in online discussions and claimed to be manufacturing explosives and drones, though court documents do not confirm if any such materials were recovered from his residence.

The plot was uncovered after Proper’s mother notified authorities on Wednesday, four days prior to the event. Following the call, Proper was admitted to a mental health hospital due to “homicidal ideations.”

A Columbus, Ohio, police detective serving on a terrorism task force interviewed Proper at the hospital on Thursday. During the interrogation, Proper admitted to planning a coordinated attack against the U.S. government during the event on the White House lawn. He identified himself as one of the group’s team leaders and explained that members from various states were scheduled to meet in Fredericksburg, Virginia, before heading to the capital.

During a Tuesday morning news conference, Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew C. Quinn clarified that his agency had led the investigation from its inception. Quinn noted that the operation is ongoing and that some suspects remain at large, stating that the agency refrained from leaking details early on to maintain the integrity of the investigation and security protocols.

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