Federal authorities have thwarted an alleged plot to attack a Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held near the White House last Sunday, according to court documents unsealed this week. The criminal complaint, filed Monday in Ohio and revealed Tuesday, details plans to carry out a coordinated assault involving explosives delivered by drones, as well as armed assaults on fleeing attendees, with the intent to incite a broader revolution.
Nineteen-year-old Tycen Proper of Ohio is at the center of the case. Federal investigators say Proper admitted to conspiring with others he initially contacted on TikTok before shifting communications to the encrypted messaging app Signal. Proper was taken into custody after authorities intervened following concerns raised by his mother, who alerted law enforcement about his recent firearm purchases and troubling online interactions.
According to an affidavit by Columbus police detective Christopher S. Betts, assigned to an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, officers visited Proper’s home four days before the UFC event. Proper’s father told officers his son had recently acquired new guns and planned to meet with associates over the coming weekend. Proper was then taken to a hospital for an emergency mental health evaluation after local authorities expressed concerns about homicidal ideations.
Investigators learned from Proper’s mother that the group he was involved with espoused anti-government views and claimed connections to ex-military personnel with Christian-based ideologies. Family members reported that Proper had made antisemitic statements and expressed sympathies toward Adolf Hitler. Proper also reportedly studied a map of an area outside Washington, D.C., and spoke of staging a demonstration near the White House.
In interviews, Proper acknowledged plotting to attack individuals at the UFC event by deploying drones equipped with explosive devices over the arena’s northern side, intending for co-conspirators to shoot attendees as they fled. He said the plan targeted wealthy individuals and politicians. Proper indicated he himself did not plan to engage in violence but described others who intended to. Law enforcement recovered from his phone communications consistent with these descriptions, including group chats with nearly 20 participants discussing operational details. Additional messages referenced targeting a U.S. senator for her support of Israel.
Four other individuals are criminally charged in connection with the alleged conspiracy: Bryan Omar Roa, 24, and Michael Alan Thomas, 32, both from California; Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, from Missouri; and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, from Nebraska. All face charges of conspiracy to commit murder; Alvarez is additionally charged with conspiring to commit an offense against the United States. Authorities allege that Alvarez, using the handle “Shepherd,” coordinated tactical movements, while Eskridge and others discussed targeting critical infrastructure such as the power grid.
During interviews, Roa reportedly admitted traveling toward D.C. to protest the UFC event but denied involvement in the conspiracy, although investigators noted his familiarity with details and family members’ concerns about potential violence. Thomas described himself as a planner and advisor in the plot and expressed conspiracy theories with anti-Semitic content, alleging a secretive elite involving Jeffrey Epstein and blaming corruption on Jewish people.
The UFC event, held as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary and former President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, was organized by UFC CEO Dana White, a close Trump ally. President Trump and the first lady attended the event in the front row. The celebration featured two military flyovers and an extended fireworks display over the National Mall, during which the Federal Aviation Administration imposed ground stops on the region’s airports to ensure safety.
Speaking from France at the Group of Seven summit, Trump said he was unaware of the alleged plot and made no further comment beyond a quip regarding the fighters in the event.
A senior Secret Service official described the plot as “unique” due to the number of individuals involved and the complexity of their planning. The agency led the investigation and withheld information to preserve its integrity, declining to speculate on public disclosures made by other officials. The FBI did not respond to requests for comment.
The case remains under active investigation, with multiple defendants in custody as authorities work to uncover further details about the alleged conspiracy.