FBI says plan to attack UFC Freedom 250 has been ‘completely canceled’
The FBI has foiled an alleged plot targeting a UFC event at the White House on June 14, Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.
As President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday ringside at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event and spent weeks preparing to build a massive arena on the South Lawn of the White House, a group of anti-government ideologists were planning an elaborate attack to kill government officials, authorities said.
The FBI announced on June 16 that it had foiled a possible plot targeting a UFC event at the White House two days earlier and arrested at least five people in connection with it. According to federal indictment documents, the suspects prepared to travel to the Washington, D.C., area from across the United States, making plans through social media and group chats. Their plans were thwarted when one of the group’s members, a 19-year-old who lived at home with his parents, was taken to local police by his parents on suspicion of behavioral problems and purchasing firearms.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, and local authorities, reportedly intervened before the plan was put into action. President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance said they didn’t even know about it until after the event.
“President Trump and the entire administration are grateful to all the heroic members of the FBI, Secret Service, and law enforcement who worked tirelessly to keep us safe. Thanks to their efforts, UFC Freedom 250 will be remembered as one of the greatest sporting events in history,” spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said in a statement.
More suspects are believed to be involved, a federal law enforcement official briefed on the case told USA TODAY on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. The Department of Justice said the investigation was ongoing, but no additional arrests had been announced as of June 17.
Here’s what we know about the study.
Who are the suspects accused in the UFC conspiracy?
Five people have been arrested in connection with a plot to attack a UFC event at the White House, according to federal indictment documents unsealed on June 16. They were identified as Tysen Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio. Brian Omar Lore, 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.
Proper became the main focus of the investigation after his mother contacted local police on June 10, investigators said. His mother’s information led local officials in Knox County to contact the FBI and Secret Service, which later launched a multi-state investigation.
Proper allegedly communicated in a group chat of about 19 people on the app Signal, as well as other smaller group chats, and discussed detailed plans to attack the event. According to the criminal complaint, the parents told officials that they were concerned about recent firearm purchases and were worried about the mother’s online communications with people she described as ultra-religious, Christians and military veterans.
According to investigators, Proper confessed to planning the attack during interrogation at a medical facility and was taken to the hospital on suspicion of having homicidal intent. The suspect said he planned to travel to the Washington, D.C., area and meet up with other group members to carry out the attack, according to the complaint.
All of the other arrestees communicated with Proper online or via chat, authorities said. They were all charged with various federal crimes. Proper faces charges including conspiracy to commit a crime against the United States, attempted murder of a public official, and firearms offenses. Four others were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, and Alvarez was also charged with conspiracy to commit crimes against the United States, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said conspiracy to commit murder carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Attorneys for Propper and Eskridge did not respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY. Mr. Alvarez’s lawyer declined to comment. It was not immediately clear whether Lore and Thomas had attorneys who could comment on their behalf.
What was the plan to storm the UFC White House event?
According to charging documents, Propper told investigators that the group was planning to hold a protest outside the White House. They planned to fly a small drone loaded with explosives near the UFC event to force an evacuation. The plan was then to shoot the protesters as they fled toward a waiting sniper, the documents said.
In messages obtained by investigators, Proper suggested the group was targeting certain members of Congress based on their perceived support for Israel, according to the criminal complaint. Some of the men are also said to have believed conspiracy theories about congressmen, Jews, and other groups.
Investigators say Alvarez and Thomas are also suspected of leading conversations about planning the attack. Thomas told authorities in an interview that he considered himself the group’s planner and advisor, according to the affidavit. He said he hoped this attack and subsequent attacks would cause chaos and lead to the overthrow of the U.S. government.
According to the plan identified by the researcher, group members were to be divided into different levels of participation. Thomas described various “tiers.” In the message, he said Tier 1 participants must be prepared to break the law and go into hiding, according to the criminal complaint. Tier 2 includes getaway drivers and drone operators. At other tiers, support roles, such as social media influencers, will be less involved, he said.
Contributor: Josh Meyer, USA TODAY
