PRESS RELEASE
Five men arrested & charged in plot to attack & kill government officials, others attending Ultimate Fighting Championship at White House
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Justice Department announced today charges against five men for an alleged plot to carry out an attack to kill government officials and others attending the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event held at the White House last Sunday.
The FBI launched an investigation into the plot and identified a group of conspirators who procured weapons and made plans to carry out the attack. The FBI made arrests over the weekend in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California. The investigation remains ongoing.
“The FBI, our law enforcement partners and our U.S. Attorneys did what they do every day to make America Safe through quick response and vigilance in investigating, disrupting, and dismantling this alleged plan before it could be carried out,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “We will take immediate and aggressive action to identify and prosecute those who incite and plan acts of violence.”
“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 — and 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,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “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. That’s exactly what we did here. I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing and we will continue to update the public as permitted.”
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said: “The investigation of this plot began on June 10 here in the Southern District of Ohio. Thanks to the urgent and diligent work of our AUSAs, our law enforcement partners, and our sister U.S. Attorney Offices, five men from around the country are now in custody for an alleged plan to carry out an attack to kill government officials and others attending the UFC Freedom 250 event held at the White House on Sunday.
“As alleged in our complaint, the investigation revealed that a man from Knox County, Ohio, amassed weapons, ammunition and tactical gear at his home in Ohio, connected with like-minded individuals online & had identified targets for an attack.
“We are proud to have some of the Nation’s finest investigators and AUSAs in this District and are immensely grateful for their work to thwart this attack.”
“Protecting the President of the United States and the White House grounds is priority number one for the U.S. Secret Service,” said Director Sean M Curran of the U.S. Secret Service. “The landscape has changed, and as a result we have seen a dramatic rise in threats against our protectees. I am proud of the men and women of the Secret Service that vigorously monitor, investigate, and arrest those that plot to interfere with our protective mission. We are grateful for our extraordinary partnerships we share with DHS, DOJ, Acting Attorney General Blanche, FBI-JTTF, Park Police, and DC Police.”
According to the charges, Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio; 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, conspired to plan and execute a mass casualty event targeting U.S. officials in attendance at UFC Freedom 250 hosted on the White House grounds. The conspirators allegedly planned to deploy drones armed with explosives in and around the UFC Freedom 250 event in order to force an evacuation of the event and then planned to deploy snipers to fire upon “high value targets” within the fleeing crowd.
Tycen Proper
According to filed complaints in the Southern District of Ohio, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Nebraska, and the Central District of California, investigators interviewed Proper at a medical facility on June 11. During the interview, he allegedly said he had planned with others a coordinated attack against the U.S. government during the UFC event at the White House. He said members of the group who wanted to participate in the attack began communicating with each other around March. More serious members of the group, including Proper, moved their communications to an encrypted chat app. They planned to fly small drones with explosives to detonate over the north side of the UFC arena, forcing high value targets to evacuate the premises; the group would then act as snipers and shoot these individuals. Before executing the plan, Proper and other conspirators allegedly planned to rendezvous in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Proper allegedly amassed firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and tactical gear at his home in Ohio, and he identified potential targets, including multiple members of Congress.
Bryan Roa
According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Roa’s residence and vehicle where they allegedly seized a rifle, handgun, tactical belt, ammunition and a rifle magazine, a two-way radio, and an infrared laser target pointer. A search of Roa’s phone allegedly found messages in a group with Thomas, Proper, and others discussing an attack at the UFC event at the White House, with some users discussing using drones rigged with explosives to initiate the attack, with rooftop snipers killing individuals. Law enforcement also allegedly found Instagram videos Roa had posted of himself shooting guns.
Michael Thomas
According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, Thomas allegedly participated in a group chat planning an attack at the UFC event at the White House. In a group chat, on June 7, he allegedly wrote “$1300 gets us the drones and the charges. Yes we should all pitch in and we need it asap…”
In another group chat, Thomas, under a pseudonym, allegedly described “tiers” of operators within their anti-government group, with tier 1 being operators on the ground, tier 2 being drivers and drone operators, tier 3 being logistical suppliers, and tier 4 being social media influencers. “Tier one status is not something to take lightly. … We will make sure they have…All the tier 2 support we can provide. We will try to break them out of jail if we need to.” In the same group chats, Thomas discussed meeting with Roa in person in Southern California in order to conduct “marksmen training” and reflected that the group needed to train for “gorilla style warfare.”
In a June 13 search warrant, FBI agents allegedly seized from Thomas’ residence a rifle, 30-round extended magazines for the rifle, 180 of rounds of ammunition, and a pistol.
Daniel Eskridge
Eskridge was charged with conspiracy to commit murder on White House grounds. According to an affidavit filed in the Western District of Missouri, the FBI identified Eskridge while reviewing electronic communications on Proper’s cell phone. The co-conspirators had electronic chats on encrypted social media platforms. In those chats, members of the group allegedly discussed assassinating several U.S. Senators, Representatives, and prominent business executives. Members of the group targeted some legislators based on the group’s perceived belief that the legislators accepted money from pro-Israel lobbies. When discussing potential targets, Eskridge indicated that the target was “big and someone a majority of the country knows.” In the discussions, power grids were also identified as potential targets. On May 22, Eskridge distributed a picture of tactical equipment, including a rifle, helmet, and ballistic vest.
Also according to the affidavit, in a separate chat group, a conversation took place in early June when Eskridge and some of the other chat group members discussed their plan to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event. Specifically, Thomas stated, “Pensilvania [sic] avenue.” Eskridge said the group should obtain $1,300 in U.S. currency and they needed “5 teams of 3 each team consisting of 1 sniper, 1 tier one operator as support/ look out, [and] one drone operator.” Eskridge said the money would provide them the funding to purchase “drones and charges,” and encouraged the group to all “pitch in.” On June 13, law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant of Eskridge’s residence. Agents recovered rifles, a shot gun, pistol, and other tactical gear.
Abraham Alvarez
According to the charges filed in Nebraska, the FBI identified Alvarez as the individual using the name “Shepherd” in an encrypted chat app that was used to plan an attack on the UFC Freedom 250 event scheduled to be held at the White House on June 14. The FBI assessed that Alvarez, also known as “Shepherd,” was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack, based on conversation excerpts in June when Shepherd posted, “This is the best action I see. Position your teams in the purple dots (counter sniper and drones) Long range (circled area) (great shot) Easy out into the river.” Shepherd also allegedly posted other messages including replying to another member on making drones with explosives, “As many and as deadly as we can get.”; that he was working on drones; and had one drone and was working on more.
The complaint further alleges that Shepherd provided a picture and directions for a safe zone at an old church in Nebraska. He instructed the other members to take back roads or the river down to the “pick up location.” Later that same evening, Shepherd also provided locations in the area for drone launch points and sniper positions.
If convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Updated June 16, 2026
Joe Rogan Was Only 117.4 Million Off on UFC Freedom 250 Ratings
June 19, 2026 | 9:45am ET
Joe Rogan was just a tad off when claiming that UFC Freedom 250 at the White House drew more viewers than the Super Bowl.
Per official ratings released by Paramount on Thursday night, the event averaged 8.2 million viewers across the US and Latin America, with its total number of viewers reaching 17 million.
UFC is touting those numbers as a major success, marking the biggest “exclusive live event in Paramount+ history.” However, they fall well short of Rogan’s previous claim that the event was “one of the most watched sporting events in the history of the world,” which he estimated had upwards of 150 million viewers — a number that would have eclipsed Super Bowl viewership.
White House Helipad Construction Reportedly Starts—But Trump’s Unusually Quiet On Plans
Zachary Folk, Forbes Staff
Updated Tue, June 30, 2026 at 1:34 PM PDT
2 min read
Topline
Construction crews were spotted on the South Lawn of the White House working on building a new permanent helipad for the presidential residence, according to a Washington Post report—although the Trump administration has not yet confirmed the plans.
The White House South Lawn, seen on Monday, June 28.
Getty Images
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Key Facts
Construction crews were working on the South Lawn helipad project on Monday night, which is now blocked off from view by a large black fence, the Post reported citing three anonymous sources familiar with the plans.
The new helipad was first reported to be in the works in May, but Trump and the White House have not commented on the planned addition—a rarity as the president frequently talks up his big second-term renovations at the White House and across Washington, D.C.
Marine One helicopters have traditionally landed directly on the South Lawn, but an exhaust vent on the new Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot now risks scorching the White House’s grass.
The project will be funded by a $5 million donation from Lockheed Martin, the company that manufactures the new Marine One helicopters, the Post reported citing a source from the company.
The new helipad will reportedly be constructed near the South Portico, where Trump and other presidents traditionally speak to reporters before boarding Marine One.
Both the White House and Lockheed Martin did not return requests for comment from Forbes.
Tangent
The grass on parts of the South Lawn was previously torn up for the massive 87-foot steel arena installed on the grounds for UFC Freedom 250, the mixed martial arts event hosted as part of the country’s 250th anniversary that took place on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday earlier this month. Lawncare company ScottsMiracle-Gro previously announced they would be donating $1 million in cash and product in the form of custom turf to help restore the lawn after the event. Forbes has reached out to the company for further information about these plans.
Key Background
Trump has seemingly made remodeling Washington, D.C., a priority during his second term in office, forging ahead with controversial projects that frequently face public backlash and even court challenges. These include the planned ballroom at the former East Wing, refurbishment of Washington’s East Potomac Golf Links, a renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a proposed triumphal arch. Trump has also made smaller changes to the White House, including significantly altering the Rose Garden and installing a patio in the area.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts 8 Men in Conspiracies Related to Plot to Attack UFC Freedom 250 Event at White House, Kill Government Officials
Thursday, July 9, 2026
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For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
Eighth alleged coconspirator who was to participate as sniper during attack arrested by FBI in West Virginia this week
A total of eight defendants now face federal charges related to the alleged plot to carry out an attack to kill government officials and others attending the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event held at the White House on June 14. All eight men were charged together in a two-count indictment returned in Columbus today.
The indictment stems from an initial investigation and criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Ohio against Tycen C. Proper 19, of Danville, Ohio. Proper and four others charged federally by criminal complaint in Missouri, Nebraska and California were arrested the weekend of the UFC event. Two more defendants were charged by criminal complaint and arrested by the FBI approximately one week later in Washington and Missouri.
This week, an eighth defendant, Chandler D. Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, was taken into custody in West Virginia. Scaggs was allegedly assigned to be one of the snipers in the plotted attack. An affidavit details that Scaggs was to be picked up by Proper to travel to Washington, D.C. Scaggs and others lost contact with Proper upon Proper’s arrest, but Scaggs allegedly indicated to the group that he was still willing to participate in the attack and made new plans for another coconspirator to pick him up to travel to the UFC Freedom 250 event.
A full list of those charged in the indictment includes:
Name Also Known As Age City of Residence Abraham H. Alvarez Shepherd 31 Omaha, Nebraska Daniel K. Eskridge Fulcrum 32 Hamilton, Missouri William L. S. Falkner Pepsi 21 Belfair, Washington Tycen J. Proper Prox 19 Danville, Ohio Jordan W. Rincker Shriveled Shlong 28 St. Joseph, Missouri Bryan O. Roa Noble 25 Calimesa, California Chandler D. Scaggs Viper of the S.O.G. 21 Chapmanville, West Virginia Michael A. Thomas Whiskey Six 32 Pinon Hills, California
The indictment charges all eight men in two conspiracies: conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official. The indictment replaces the initial charges filed in criminal complaints in various Districts across the country.
According to the indictment, starting in May 2026, the defendants conspired to provide material support and resources to terrorists in the form of money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical equipment, communication equipment, personnel and other services.
The eight men allegedly participated in online chat groups and forums on Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok and Instagram. Throughout these communications, they allegedly developed plans for attacks, recruited members and encouraged each other to prepare for attacks, including the attack on UFC Freedom 250.
The indictment details that, as part of their conspiracy, the defendants created a tier system to classify participants. Tier one conspirators allegedly committed to put themselves “in harms [sic] way, break the law, and potentially go into hiding.”
Besides amassing weapons, ammunition, tactical gear and other supplies, the defendants also allegedly engaged in marksmanship and combat training, agreed on targets for the UFC Freedom 250 event and created operational plans to commit the attack and escape after the attack.
Count two of the indictment charges a second conspiracy, namely, conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official.
As part of this conspiracy, the defendants allegedly planned to murder the President of the United States, Vice President of the United States, other federal officials, the Prime Minister of Israel, Elon Musk and “other high value targets” at UFC Freedom 250.
Conspiring to provide material support to terrorists is punishable by up to 15 years of imprisonment. Conspiring to commit murder carries a potential penalty of up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice National Security Division John A. Eisenberg, Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, FBI Cincinnati Division Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Jason Rees, Knox County Sheriff Daniel J. Weckesser, Danville Police Chief Monte L. Vance and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the indictment. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Nebraska, Western District of Missouri, Central District of California and Western District of Washington, as well as law enforcement partners in those jurisdictions, investigated and charged the previous related criminal complaints.
Assistant United States Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and David J. Twombly and Department of Justice National Security Trial Attorney James Donnelly are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.