FBI Foils Plot to Use Explosive Drones at White House UFC

Federal authorities arrested five men they say planned to attack the UFC 250 event on the White House South Lawn using explosive-laden drones and shooters. The arrests came after a multi-state investigation and were made before the event took place.

Prosecutors identified the suspects as Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska, and California residents Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas. Court filings allege the group intended to detonate drones over the event to disperse the crowd and then fire on fleeing attendees and designated high-value targets from a southern evacuation point.

Officials say the investigation began after Proper’s family contacted law enforcement about his recent behavior, firearms purchases and online activity. The FBI says agents became aware of the potential threat on June 10 and moved quickly to effect arrests ahead of the event.

Court documents describe an online network that began on TikTok under the name “Vanguard of the Old” and shifted communications to the encrypted app Signal. The filings say members arranged a meeting in Fredericksburg, Virginia, then planned to travel to Washington, D.C. Investigators recovered chat logs and planning materials that included proposed drone launch locations, sniper positions, escape routes and safe houses.

A Task Force officer wrote in an affidavit that Proper described staging snipers and additional shooters with long guns at or near the southern evacuation point to fire on members of the crowd and high-value targets after explosives detonated. Proper also told investigators the goal was to “jump-start” a revolution in the United States, court papers state.

Proper’s mother told agents that some contacts claimed military backgrounds and framed recruitment in religious terms. She said those contacts had pushed her son deeper into his faith and that religion was used to influence him.

Thousands attended the UFC event on the South Lawn. Among spectators named in filings were President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and members of Congress. The event included corporate sponsorships and promotions from multiple cryptocurrency firms; filings reference a $1 million CRO token bonus pool and $250,000 in USD1 stablecoins tied to promotions.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that the bureau and its partners detected the threat and acted rapidly, adding: “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.” Federal filings and officials state the event itself was not at risk because of the timely investigation and law enforcement response.

Authorities continue to review seized evidence and pursue additional leads. The matter is being handled in federal court, where prosecutors are expected to file charges and release further details as the investigation progresses.