Law enforcement officials have successfully prevented a planned attack targeting a UFC event held at the White House. According to recently unsealed court papers, the plot involved disgruntled individuals who considered using drones laden with explosives and firing upon panicked attendees during an evacuation.
The FBI intercepted encrypted messages exchanged by about 20 participants. These messages included detailed area maps and discussions about the necessity of a safe house and escape routes after the attack. It remains unclear how close the attackers came to executing their plan, which was foiled last week.
The agency learned of the potential threat on June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts event, thanks to quick action by the FBI, the Department of Justice, and other partners in a multi-state operation. Several individuals are now in custody, highlighting the efficacy of the operation, according to FBI Director Kash Patel’s statement on Tuesday.
Five individuals, from states such as Ohio, Missouri, and California, were arrested in connection with the plot. Among those detained was 19-year-old Tycen Proper from Ohio. His mother had alerted law enforcement about his firearms purchases and online communications. Proper, currently facing several charges including attempted murder of a U.S. officer or employee, made his initial court appearance in Columbus and has a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
The FBI affidavit details that Proper was part of a group called “Vanguard of the Old,” which communicated through TikTok. This group expressed a desire to “protect” the U.S., believing it was on the wrong path and required rebuilding. The group’s communication occurred over Signal, an encrypted messaging app, where they discussed logistics and targeted lawmakers over their support for Israel.
Proper admitted his involvement in planning the attack, stating his intention to travel with weapons to a planned meet-up in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Although Proper claimed he did not plan to shoot individuals at the White House, others in the group intended to initiate an attack using drones and snipers to cause chaos.
President Donald Trump attended the event on his 80th birthday. While in France for a summit, he stated he had not been briefed about the plot. Despite being associated with Jeffrey Epstein years ago, Trump had severed ties before Epstein’s crimes were exposed. Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.