Federal authorities in the United States say they broke up an alleged plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event held Sunday on the White House South Lawn. According to criminal complaints and affidavits unsealed Tuesday, the accused intended to target both the crowd and political figures attending the gathering.
What the alleged plan involved
Prosecutors say five men worked together on the scheme. They are Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska, and California residents Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas. According to the allegations, the men planned to use explosive-laden drones to drive attendees out of the venue, after which shooters would target politicians and other "high value targets."
In the complaint, FBI Task Force Officer Christopher Betts wrote, “Proper stated that the plan was for members of his group to act as snipers and additional shooters, preferably with long guns, staged at or near the southern evacuation point to conduct shootings of the members of the crowd and HVTs as they fled from the explosive devices which had just been detonated.”
Proper allegedly told investigators that the aim was to "jump-start" a revolution in the United States.
The FBI director's statement
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X, “On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region. Thanks to the rapid action of this 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.”
A high-profile crowd
By the time authorities disrupted the plot, UFC Freedom 250 had already drawn thousands of prominent spectators. Among them were President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and members of Congress.
The card also doubled as a stage for the crypto industry. Crypto.com, Exodus, World Liberty Financial, and Polymarket took part through sponsorships and promotions, including a $1 million CRO token bonus pool along with $250,000 in USD1 stablecoins.
How the investigation started
According to the filings, Proper told investigators that members of a TikTok group called "Vanguard of the Old" began talking in March before shifting their discussions to Signal. Investigators said the group planned to meet in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and then travel to Washington, D.C., where drones carrying explosives were meant to detonate over the UFC venue.
The case began after Proper's family contacted law enforcement about his recent behavior, his firearms purchases, and his online activity. According to the documents, investigators recovered discussions about sniper positions, drone launch sites, escape routes, safe houses, and other operational planning materials.
Religion and alleged manipulation
According to Proper's mother, the group included members who claimed to be ex-military and Christian-based. Betts wrote, “Proper’s mother detailed that talking with these individuals online has caused Proper to lean heavily into his religion, and she believed that those individuals were using religion to manipulate and influence her son.”
The group's grievances reportedly included complaints about government corruption, the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and the spread of AI data centers.
The second drone threat in recent weeks
The allegations mark the second major drone-related threat to large events in recent weeks. On Friday, the Iran-linked hacking group Handala claimed it had gained access to footage from FBI surveillance drones and issued threats against teams set to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning that first-person-view drones could be used against tournament participants.
Officials say the event was never at risk
Despite these threats, federal officials said the UFC Freedom 250 event itself was never in danger because of the investigation and the swift law enforcement response. Patel said on X, “While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team. We are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens, particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight.”
