Federal prosecutors say an alleged anti-government plot targeting the White House’s UFC Freedom 250 event was not a loose online fantasy, but a multi-state plan involving explosive drones, sniper teams, weapons, tactical gear, escape routes and at least eight publicly named defendants.
According to the Justice Department, the alleged plan centered on the June 14 UFC event held on White House grounds, where prosecutors say the group planned to use drones armed with explosives near the arena to force an evacuation. Once attendees began fleeing, members allegedly planned to use sniper rifles and other weapons to fire at “high value targets” in the crowd.
Authorities say the group communicated through encrypted chats and began planning around March. The investigation reportedly started June 10 after the parents of 19-year-old Tycen C. Proper of Danville, Ohio, alerted police about his weapons purchases and concerning online activity, according to the Associated Press. Proper allegedly told investigators he had planned a coordinated attack against the U.S. government during the UFC event.
The first five men charged were Proper; Bryan Omar Roa, 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. Prosecutors say Proper amassed firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and tactical gear in Ohio. Roa allegedly had a rifle, handgun, ammunition, tactical equipment, and messages discussing drones and rooftop snipers. Thomas allegedly wrote, “$1300 gets us the drones and the charges. Yes, we should all pitch in and we need it asap…”
Eskridge allegedly discussed needing “5 teams of 3 each team consisting of 1 sniper, 1 tier one operator as support/ look out, [and] one drone operator,” while Alvarez, who prosecutors say used the name “Shepherd,” allegedly helped plan and direct the attack. In one message about drones with explosives, Alvarez allegedly wrote, “As many and as deadly as we can get.”
Two more men were later charged: William Lee Spartacus Falkner of Washington and Jordan W. Rincker, 28, of St. Joseph, Missouri. The DOJ said Falkner allegedly had drone manufacturing and piloting experience and discussed loading explosives onto drones. Rincker allegedly accepted $1,200 from Alvarez to distribute to other co-conspirators and sent Roa $100 through CashApp for gas to drive to Washington, D.C., to pick up the “drone operator.”
The eighth publicly named defendant is Alexander Iniguez Mercado, 20, of Chicago, who was arrested on Thursday, June 25. According to the Northern District of Illinois, Mercado allegedly served as an administrator and member of Signal chats connected to the planned attack. Prosecutors say that after an FBI agent called him on June 13 to discuss online threats, Mercado denied plans to travel to D.C. and then uninstalled Signal, making message data unavailable. He is charged with obstruction of justice and faces up to 20 years if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros called the allegation serious, saying, “Obstructing justice in a law enforcement investigation into a planned violent domestic attack is a profoundly serious offense.”
“The investigation in this case involved serious threats to public safety, including the safety of President Donald J. Trump, other members of government, as well as the many attendees and athletes who attended the event at the White House.”
Mercado’s attorney, Jonathan Brooks, pushed back in court, saying, “There’s no indication my client even knows who these people are because it’s an online group.”
The event, attended by Trump and senior political figures, went on without incident. Officials described the suspects as tied to anti-government conspiracy beliefs and said the alleged attack was meant to destabilize the government.
All charges remain allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
