The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Tuesday that it had disrupted a plot aimed at the White House’s Sunday UFC event, arresting five individuals across four states. The defendants allegedly planned to use explosive‑laden drones and sniper teams to target high‑value attendees, including President Donald Trump, Vice‑President Josh Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and businessman Elon Musk.
Trump celebrated his 80th birthday that same Sunday, in a ceremony that also marked the country’s 250th anniversary. The UFC matches drew an estimated 4,300 invited guests on the South Lawn and a further 85,000 people in the surrounding area.
According to the Department of Justice, the plotters used drones to ignite panic, drawing crowds toward sniper positions before a “second wave” of attackers was to breach the White House gate. The defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and were named as Tycen C Proper, Bryan Omar Roa, Michael Alan Thomas, Daniel K Eskridge and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez.
Proper's mother reported his large firearms purchases and online activity to authorities on 10 June, leading to the investigation. The suspects communicated via a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old.” Prosecutors say the group’s agenda focused on “grievances about government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centres and community water usage.”
At least one suspect admitted involvement during an FBI interview, revealing that the plan included mapping sniper sites, drone launch points, and power grid targets. Alvarez, the alleged planner, is charged with conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds, carrying a maximum prison term of five years.
All five face life in prison and a potential $250,000 fine for conspiracy to murder. A preliminary hearing is set for 29 June.
