On Sunday, June 14, 2026, thousands of people packed the White House South Lawn to watch UFC Freedom 250. President Trump sat ringside next to First Lady Melania Trump. It was his 80th birthday, and the fights were part of the country’s 250th anniversary party. Fourteen fighters traded punches under a 92-foot structure called “The Claw,” just steps from the building.
What almost nobody in that crowd knew: federal agents had spent the previous four days racing to stop a plan to turn the night into something far uglier. On Tuesday, June 16, the Justice Department announced charges against five men accused of plotting to attack the event and kill government officials and other guests.
It Started With a Phone Call From a Worried Mom
The whole case traces back to a parent who got scared. On June 10, four days before the fights, the mother of 19-year-old Tycen Proper of Danville, Ohio called local police. She told them her son had recently bought firearms, ammunition, body armor, and tactical gear, and that he had quit his job to get ready for what he called “missions” and “recons.”
She also mentioned he had been talking to “random” people online, that he was fixated on Jeffrey Epstein and government corruption, and that he had posted things sympathetic to Adolf Hitler. Proper was hospitalized that evening with homicidal ideations. The next day, he allegedly told investigators he planned to “jump-start” a revolution with an attack on June 14. Without that call, agents have said, they would not have known about any of it.
The Plan: Drones First, Snipers Second
According to court papers, the idea was a two-wave attack. First, small drones loaded with explosives would fly over the area and hit buildings near the event to force a mass evacuation. Then, as the crowd ran for the exits, snipers posted along the southern escape routes would open fire on “high value targets.” A “second wave” was set to hit a security checkpoint.
Daniel Eskridge of Missouri allegedly told the group they needed $1,300 to buy “drones and charges,” and called for “5 teams of 3,” with each team made up of one sniper, one lookout, and one drone operator. One member typed “Pensilvania [sic] avenue” while discussing the plan. Investigators say they pulled firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and tactical gear out of the suspects’ homes.
The Five Men Charged
The five defendants were arrested across four states. They are 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.
Roa and Thomas, the two from California, were arrested on Saturday, June 13, the day before the fight. Their families had noticed big changes. Roa had been shooting his guns more often and spending time with a new group of online friends over the past three months, relatives told agents. Thomas wrote to the group on May 25 that he and another member “trained on vehicle dismount” and basic marksmanship. Agents say they seized a rifle, 30-round magazines, 180 rounds, and a pistol from his home.
The Man They Called “Shepherd”
Court documents point to Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Omaha as the alleged ringleader, known in the chats by the name “Shepherd.” Prosecutors say he built the group’s tiered structure, ran the planning talks, and coordinated members spread across multiple states using encrypted apps. He also allegedly shared a photo and directions to a “safe zone,” an old church in Nebraska, for the group to use after the attack.
The group was split into tiers, from “tier 1” to “tier 4.” Tier one members were those willing to put themselves in harm’s way. Other tiers covered getaway drivers, drone operators, and support roles. Investigators recovered encrypted messages from 19 people they believe took part, who shared maps and photos of the area and talked about needing escape routes. Proper told agents the group “believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt.”
Who They Allegedly Wanted to Hit
The targets named in court filings read like a who’s who. They included President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Elon Musk. Several elected officials were also on the list: Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, and members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation.
Blackburn, it turns out, was right there. She posted a photo of herself with her grandson standing outside the venue, with no idea a foiled plot had been swirling around her. Trump, meanwhile, sat front and center for the whole card. Much of the group’s anger, according to the filings, centered on U.S. support for Israel, the handling of the Epstein files, and worries about data centers using up water in communities.
Strangers Who Met on TikTok
These men were not old friends. Court records describe them as strangers who first connected through a TikTok group chat before moving to encrypted messaging apps including Signal and SimpleX. A main chat had about 19 people, with smaller groups of four or five split up by role and location. Members swapped photos of their gear and talked through their plans. Agents found images of Roa doing tactical shooting drills in a remote desert.
The group described itself as ex-military with Christian-based, anti-government views. Plans called for members from several states to meet at a rendezvous point in Fredericksburg, Virginia, then travel to Washington together. Proper said he intended to bring his weapons, body armor, ammunition, and an AR-15. His father said the trip was the reason the family grew alarmed in the first place.
Officials Can’t Agree on How Serious It Was
Here’s where the story gets messy. FBI Director Kash Patel said agents “stopped cold” the alleged attack through a multi-state operation. A Secret Service official called it “a serious threat.” But Vice President JD Vance played it down on Fox News. “The plot was, like, not that advanced,” he said. “They weren’t in town. They had not really done that much planning.”
A former Homeland Security official, Juliette Kayyem, agreed the group “did not appear to have the capacity” and was not close to acting. There was also tension inside the government. The Secret Service’s number-two official publicly accused Patel of revealing too much about the case, saying his disclosures could put the ongoing investigation at risk.
What Happens Now
All five men have been arrested and are being held while the case moves forward. Charges were filed in four federal court districts: Southern Ohio, Western Missouri, Nebraska, and Central California.
Proper faces the heaviest list so far, including conspiracy against the United States, attempted murder of a federal officer or employee, and firearms charges. The others face a range of federal counts tied to the roles prosecutors say they played. The investigation is still going. Reports indicate up to 23 people may have been part of the broader plot, and officials have said other suspects were still at large. For now, five names are on charging documents, and a night that was supposed to be a birthday celebration on the South Lawn instead became the center of a federal terror case.