A foiled terror plot targeting the UFC event at the White House on 14th June has sent shockwaves through the combat sports world. Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old from Danville, Ohio, allegedly intended to “jump-start” a revolution on American soil — and he nearly had the chance to try.
White House UFC Event Terror Plot Uncovered Days Before the Fight Card
It was Proper’s own mother who raised the alarm on the evening of 10th June, ringing police in Danville over a string of deeply concerning behaviour. Her son had been purchasing firearms, ammunition, and ballistic plates. He’d aligned himself with a Christian extremist group on TikTok, posted content sympathetic to Adolf Hitler, and told people he planned to carry out “hit and run missions.” Authorities hospitalised him with homicidal ideations that same night.
Four days later, the UFC held its extravaganza on the White House’s South Lawn — and the FBI had been working against the clock ever since. According to federal criminal complaints, the plot centred on drone bombings over the arena’s north side, with co-conspirators taking up sniper positions along southern evacuation routes. Their alleged targets? High-value political figures, including members of the U.S. Congress identified as supporters of Israeli interests.
Multi-State Arrests as Investigators Expose the Wider Conspiracy
Federal authorities arrested at least four others in connection with the plot. Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez was picked up in Nebraska, Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas in California, and Daniel Eskridge in Missouri. Investigators believe Alvarez operated under the alias “Shepherd” — identified in charging documents as the group’s chief organiser, who allegedly used coded language in encrypted chats to discuss priority targets.
Those targets reportedly included President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whose attendance had been the subject of online rumours. Netanyahu did not, in fact, attend. Furthermore, several U.S. senators and representatives were also named as targets, including Tom Cotton, Marsha Blackburn, Jim Justice, Shelley Moore Capito, Carol Miller, and Riley Moore.
Proper faces charges including attempted murder of a United States government officer or employee. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on Tuesday that the bureau had learned of the threat four days prior, crediting a multi-state operation for putting multiple suspects behind bars. Secret Service Director Sean Curran added that his agency “worked around the clock” to identify those responsible.
Meanwhile, Trump — who celebrated his 80th birthday at the event — framed the evening as part of wider celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. ESPN and the Associated Press contributed to the original reporting on this story.