FBI confirms five men charged over alleged plot to attack White House UFC Event

Federal authorities disrupted a terrifying, multi-state plot to attack the high-profile UFC event staged on the White House lawn last weekend, have confirmed five individuals have now been charged over plans to use explosive-laden drones and snipers to put attendees at risk.

In court documents unsealed on Tuesday, the US Department of Justice revealed that five men have been arrested and charged following a massive operation to stop a planned mass casualty event before it could ever take place.

The target was the historic UFC Freedom 250 showcase, hosted on the White House South Lawn on Sunday to celebrate President Donald Trump's 80th birthday and mark the country’s 250th anniversary.

Thanks to a rapid multi-state operation by the FBI, the entire plot was stopped cold four days before the first fighters even stepped into the cage.

Last weekend's White House UFC event could've seen thousands of fans put in danger (SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

What exactly were the alleged plans?

According to federal affidavits, the group of plotters—who communicated via encrypted text apps like Signal and a TikTok group called 'Vanguard of the Old'—harbored fringe conspiracy theories and wanted to 'jumpstart' a revolution.

The unsealed papers revealed a chillingly calculated plan, in which the suspects allegedly intended to detonate drones packed with explosives over the north side of the White House event, reports KSat.

The goal was to trigger an immediate, panicked evacuation of the star-studded crowd, forcing high-profile attendees to flee directly into the waiting line of fire of positioned snipers.

Investigators who intercepted the messages found that the group had already shared detailed aerial photographs and maps of the area, and were actively looking to secure a "safe house" and escape routes for after the intended attack.

Donald Trump's birthday celebration was the target of the potentially life threatening plot (Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

How the FBI stopped it

The entire operation began to unravel on June 10 when a mother in Ohio contacted local law enforcement with deep concerns over her son’s recent firearms purchases and alarming online communications, reports The Guardian.

That tip-off led the FBI directly to 19-year-old Tycen Proper, who was arrested over the weekend alongside four other co-conspirators in Missouri, Nebraska, and California. Firearms and body armor were seized by federal agents during the raids.

Proper allegedly admitted to his role in the planning phase, telling officials he had been preparing to drive a cache of weapons to a meet-up spot in Virginia.

FBI Director Kash Patel praised the rapid response of the law enforcement teams, writing on social media: "Thanks to the rapid action of the 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.”

The five men—identified as Tycen Proper, 19, Bryan Omar Roa, 24, Michael Alan Thomas, 32, Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31—remain in federal custody facing severe charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder of government employees.

Despite the terrifying background operations, the UFC event itself went ahead completely safely on Sunday, with fans completely unaware of how close federal agents had come to the wire to protect them.