FBI Disrupted Drone Plot To Attack White House UFC Freedom 250 Event, Charging Tycen Proper And Four Others

Federal officials disrupted an alleged plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House on Sunday, with court papers describing conspirators discussing flying explosive-laden drones and then shooting people as they fled.

“FBI disrupts plot targeting UFC event at White House with explosive drones Five people are in custody, according to court documents”

ABC News

CBS News reported that the FBI said it disrupted the attempt and that five people have been charged, including Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas of California.

ABC News

NBC News said the conspirators discussed flying drones loaded with explosives over the event and then shooting into the fleeing crowd, and it reported that five people have been arrested across the country and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, among other counts.

The BBC said prosecutors alleged the plan involved striking nearby buildings with explosive-laden drones and firing on "high value targets," and it reported that an estimated 4,300 people were present for the invite-only event on the South Lawn and another 85,000 were able to watch nearby.

In Washington, D.C., the alleged plot was tied to the White House UFC event held as part of President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary, according to CBS News and the BBC.

The BBC identified the suspects as Tycen Proper, Bryan Roa and Michael Thomas of California, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri and Abraham Alvarez of Nebraska, and it said the FBI thwarted the plot and arrested five men.

In a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday, the BBC said prosecutors alleged the suspects "expressed ultra-religious and antigovernment sentiments," and it reported that the plot was discovered through Proper, whose mother called local authorities late on 10 June.

BBC

NBC News quoted FBI Director Kash Patel saying on X that "multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold," and it reported that Secret Service Director Sean Curran said his agency "worked closely with the FBI throughout this investigation."

The BBC reported that Proper told law enforcement the group began communicating around March through a TikTok group called "Vanguard of the Old Republic" and that members moved to the encrypted messaging app Signal.

The BBC also reported that the plan aimed to spark panic and draw the fleeing crowd toward a sniper team, and it described a "second wave" of attackers allegedly supposed to storm the White House gate.

Court documents described a multi-phase plan in which drones would detonate over the north side of the UFC arena and then the group would force attendees and "high value targets" to evacuate to the south, according to CBS News and the BBC.

“Washington — The FBI said Tuesday that it disrupted an attempt to attack Sunday's at the White House”

CBS News

CBS News said the potential targets laid out in the court filings included President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elon Musk, and it reported that elected officials including Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton were also named.

The BBC reported that by early June the FBI said discussions centered on the UFC event at the White House and that the group planned a "demonstration" on the north side of the White House before the drones detonated.

NBC News said the investigation involved encrypted text messages and that investigators recovered firearms, ammunition and encrypted text messages of 19 people suspected to have taken part, while it also described a law enforcement presence that blocked off roads and deployed hundreds of federal, state and local officers.

As the case moved forward, the BBC reported that each suspect faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 (£186,122) fine if convicted of conspiracy to murder, and it said the charge of conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds carries a maximum penalty of.