Omaha Man Allegedly Led White House UFC Plot, Feds Say
Federal prosecutors say they uncovered a planned mass-casualty attack aimed at the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House grounds. The case now includes five men, and new details point to Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Omaha as the person who allegedly drove the operation.
According to the Justice Department, 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, “conspired to plan and execute a mass casualty event targeting U.S. officials in attendance at UFC Freedom 250 hosted on the White House grounds.”
Prosecutors say the alleged plan was not simple or improvised. It involved drones packed with explosives, an evacuation of the event, and then snipers positioned to shoot at “high value targets” in the crowd after people started running.
Alvarez, who allegedly used the name “Shepherd” on an encrypted messaging app, is described by investigators as the person “responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack, based on conversation excerpts in June,” according to the FBI and the Department of Justice.
One alleged message from Alvarez gave a clear sense of how detailed the planning had become: “This is the best action I see. Position your teams in the purple dots (counter sniper and drones) Long range (circled area) (great shot) Easy out into the river,” Alvarez allegedly posted in the group chat used by conspirators. Prosecutors also say he discussed making explosive drones and told another person to build “As many and as deadly as we can get,” according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint says Alvarez also mapped out a church in Nebraska as a safe zone and a “pick up location,” while pointing out launch points for drones and sniper positions near the White House area.
The FBI says the case started with a tip from Proper’s mother, who told law enforcement she was worried “due to his recent conduct, including firearms purchases and communicating with certain individuals online,” according to an affidavit. Investigators later say Proper admitted “to planning with others a coordinated attack against the United States government during the UFC event scheduled to take place on the White House lawn in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, June 14, 2026,” according to the filing.
A search of Proper’s home turned up “a large quantity of boxes of spent ammunition, rounds of spent cartridge casings (consistent with ammunition having been fired), and other tactical clothing.” On his iPhone, agents say they found Signal group chats with detailed plans for an attack in Washington, D.C., including maps that highlighted sniper positions, drone launch sites, and other tactical details.
The affidavit also says Proper “expressed ultra-religious and antigovernment sentiments, specifically citing grievances about government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centers taking up all the water in communities, and other government actions.”
“Proper’s mother detailed that talking with these individuals online has caused Proper to lean heavily into his religion, and she believed that those individuals were using religion to manipulate and influence her son,” the affidavit reads.
According to Nebraska Public Media, Alvarez consented to a consular notification during his first court appearance on Tuesday. That step is required when foreign nationals are arrested so the embassy or consulate of the suspect’s home country can be notified. His immigration status and country of origin were not clear in the reporting.
Alvarez is scheduled to appear in court again on June 24 for a preliminary hearing. Other suspects arrested over the weekend include Roa and Thomas, who prosecutors say were also part of the alleged plot.
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The case is still developing, but the allegations already paint a disturbing picture. Federal agents say they stopped a coordinated plan that was aimed at a public event at one of the most secure locations in the country. If the charges hold up, prosecutors say the defendants were preparing for far more than a protest or a threat. They were allegedly setting up a deadly attack.