They Planned Drone Bombs Over the Crowd. A Teenager's Mother Called the FBI.

Explosive Drones. Then Snipers.

Four days before thousands of people gathered on the South Lawn of the White House for a UFC cage-fighting event, the FBI learned that a group of roughly 20 people were planning to blow explosive-laden drones over the crowd - and then shoot attendees as they fled.

Court papers unsealed Tuesday describe a detailed operational plan: drones carrying unspecified explosive devices would be flown over the north side of the arena during the UFC Freedom 250 event on June 14. The explosions would force a mass evacuation toward the south. Group members planned to take up sniper positions along southern evacuation routes, targeting both ordinary attendees and what court documents describe as ‘high value targets’ among the crowd.

The attack never happened. Five people are now in federal custody.

A Mother Called the Police About Her Own Son

Among those arrested is Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old from Danville, Ohio, who federal prosecutors describe as a central figure in the alleged plot. He is charged with conspiring against the United States, attempted murder of an officer of the US, and firearms charges.

According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, it was Proper’s own mother who set the investigation in motion. She contacted local law enforcement the week before the event after noticing her son’s recent firearms purchases and reviewing his online communications. Her call reached the FBI on June 10.

Within days, investigators had identified and arrested five people across three states.

Signal Chats, Maps, and Escape Routes

The FBI obtained encrypted Signal messages exchanged among the group, which included shared maps of the White House grounds, discussion of a ‘safe house,’ and planning for escape routes after the attack, according to NBC News. Some participants had traveled to Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the days before the event to conduct what court documents describe as pre-operational surveillance.

The other four defendants charged are Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas of California. Court documents indicate Alvarez, identified in FBI files under the alias ‘Shepherd,’ is believed to have designed the network’s organizational structure and coordinated planning through encrypted apps; the FBI identified him as ‘Shepherd’ after tracing a TikTok account back to him.

All five are being detained pending additional proceedings.

‘Rapidly Stopped Cold’

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrests Tuesday on social media. ‘Thanks to the rapid action of the 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,’ Patel wrote.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran confirmed his agency had worked closely with the FBI throughout the investigation, saying agents ‘worked around the clock to identify those responsible.’

The UFC Freedom 250 event took place as scheduled Sunday and was described by public officials as proceeding without incident. The court papers unsealed Tuesday were the first public confirmation that law enforcement had been working against an active plot in the days before the event.

What Comes Next

The five defendants face a range of charges including conspiracy to commit murder. No trial dates have been set. The FBI has not said publicly whether additional suspects connected to the Signal group - which included approximately 20 participants - are under investigation.

Proper, whose mother’s call initiated the case, told federal investigators on June 11 that he had intended the attack to ‘jump-start’ what he described as a revolution, according to CBS News. He was 19 years old.

References: FBI disrupts plot targeting UFC event at White House | Feds reveal details of alleged plot to attack White House UFC event with explosive drones | FBI arrests 5 in alleged plot to attack White House UFC event