Federal authorities have arrested and charged five individuals in connection with an alleged plot to attack the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held on the White House lawn, according to the FBI. The plot, which FBI Director Kash Patel said was thwarted by law enforcement, involved plans to use drones equipped with explosives to strike buildings near the fight and deploy snipers to target high-value individuals.
President Donald Trump and other senior officials were in attendance at the June 14 event, dubbed "UFC Freedom 250."
The suspects were taken into custody in Ohio, California, Nebraska, and Missouri. Among those arrested are two Southern California men: 24-year-old Bryan Omar Roa of Calimesa (also identified as living in Yucaipa) and 32-year-old Michael Alan Thomas of Pinon Hills, both in Riverside County.
They are charged with conspiracy to commit murder in federal court documents filed in the Central District of California.
According to the criminal complaint, Roa and Thomas discussed the attack in online communications and met at least once to practice marksmanship and tactics related to anti-government ideology. A search of Roa's residence and vehicle yielded a rifle, handgun, tactical belt, ammunition, a rifle magazine, a two-way radio, and an infrared laser target pointer.
At Thomas's home, FBI agents seized a rifle, 30-round extended magazines, 180 rounds of ammunition, and a pistol.
Messages between the two men indicate they discussed pooling funds for drones. In a June 7 exchange, Thomas allegedly wrote, "$1300 gets us the drones and the charges.
Yes we should all pitch in and we need it asap." Roa told investigators he attempted to drive to Washington, D.C., to protest the event but denied any involvement in the plot, claiming his vehicle broke down before reaching the capital.
A 19-year-old Ohio man, Tycen Proper, was also arrested and charged with attempted murder and firearms violations. Proper's mother alerted police after becoming concerned about his recent behavior, including communications with strangers online and firearm purchases.
Proper was taken to a hospital for emergency admission based on homicidal ideations, and the sheriff's office notified the FBI.
The suspects appeared in federal court in Riverside on Monday, where a magistrate judge ordered Roa and Thomas to remain in custody without bond. Roa's arraignment is set for July 7, and Thomas's for July 21.
A senior law enforcement official described the plot as "quite serious."
FBI Director Patel stated, "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."
The Secret Service worked closely with the FBI throughout the investigation. Director Sean Curran said, "In the days leading up to this weekend, our special agents, mission support personnel, and technical security teams worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable."
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet released details about a motive. The event itself featured a heavy law enforcement presence, with nearby streets blocked off and fences erected to control crowds.
New details from a federal criminal complaint outline a coordinated and multi-phase attack plan driven by anti-government ideology. According to prosecutors, co-conspirators — including Roa and Thomas — discussed using drones to drop explosives on the north side of the White House grounds to create panic.
Investigators say the goal was to funnel attendees toward preselected locations where snipers would be positioned to target "high-value" victims, including U.S. Sens.
Marsha Blackburn, Tom Cotton, Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice; U.S. Reps.
Carol Miller and Riley Moore; and West Virginia state Delegate Tristan Leavitt. Investigators say those individuals appeared to be selected based on their support for Israel and ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to statements in the complaint.
The filing also indicates the group broadly discussed targeting government officials, "billionaires" and "capitalist elites," and high-profile attendees at the White House event.
According to the complaint, investigators identified Roa and Thomas after interviewing the Ohio suspect, Tycen Proper, on June 11. Proper — who was charged separately on June 12 — identified the two men as participants in the plot through their social media accounts.
Investigators say Proper's phone contained encrypted messages detailing the attack plan and communications among co-conspirators. On June 13, federal agents executed search warrants at locations tied to both California men, according to the complaint.
Investigators reported finding in Roa's vehicle: firearms, a tactical belt and radios; in Thomas' residence: a hunting rifle, an AR-style rifle, extended magazines loaded with ammunition and a pistol. Agents also seized Roa's phone, which allegedly contained communications with other suspects about the attack plan.
According to the complaint, Thomas told investigators he helped plan the attack and encouraged others to participate. Roa told agents he had attempted to travel to Washington, D.C., but denied involvement in the conspiracy, according to the filing.
However, disclosed messages show that Roa and Thomas were not just talking online — they were meeting in person and training together in the weeks leading up to the plot. According to the complaint, the two men identified themselves as being in Southern California in group chats, arranged meetups in the High Desert, including the Pinon Hills area, and conducted marksmanship and tactical training exercises, including vehicle movement, cover techniques and basic firearms skills.
In one exchange, Thomas described the training as preparation for "guerrilla-style warfare," saying the group would need to operate "like ghosts" and carry out raids and infiltration-style missions. Investigators say these conversations show the pair were actively preparing to use firearms.
Federal investigators say "Vanguard of the Old" is an online extremist group tied to the disrupted domestic terror plot. The group emerged around March 2026, initially forming on TikTok before shifting to the encrypted messaging app Signal, according to an FBI affidavit.
Authorities allege the group promoted anti-government, ultra-religious and antisemitic views, with members expressing a belief that the United States needed to be "torn down" and rebuilt. According to court documents, investigators say the group's grievances extended beyond traditional anti-government rhetoric to include hostility toward modern infrastructure — particularly large-scale data centers.
The FBI affidavit describes members framing data centers as symbols of government overreach and corporate power, while also criticizing their massive energy consumption and environmental footprint. Authorities say this anti-data center stance was woven into broader conspiracy-driven narratives, including claims that digital infrastructure enables surveillance, concentrates control in the hands of elites, and drains resources from the public.
Investigators noted that members discussed these concerns alongside other grievances, including alleged government corruption and frustration over the handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, according to federal filings.
Authorities say the investigation began after Proper's mother contacted local law enforcement in Ohio on June 10, raising concerns about her son's behavior. According to the criminal complaint, red flags included heavy weapons purchases and tactical gear, plans to travel to Washington, D.C., and increasingly concerning online activity and communications.
Proper's family turned over multiple firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition and tactical equipment to authorities. He now faces multiple federal charges, including conspiracy against the United States, attempted murder of federal officials, and firearms offenses tied to violent crime.
Court filings outline a detailed and coordinated strategy: stage a demonstration outside the event, detonate explosive drones nearby to create chaos, deploy snipers to target fleeing attendees, and escape via a route along the Potomac River.
The FBI's Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit (ATIU) — a high-tech team focused on emerging threats — assisted in the investigation alongside the Secret Service and local agencies. Officials said the multi-agency effort moved quickly once the tip was received, leading to arrests across multiple states, including California.
"This was a fast-moving, coordinated operation that prevented what could have been a devastating attack," federal officials said.