Authorities Prevent Planned Attack on UFC Event at White House

The FBI thwarted an attack planned for a UFC cage fight event at the White House, according to court documents released on Tuesday. Dissatisfied with the nation’s direction, conspirators discussed using drones carrying explosives and shooting at panicked crowds as they fled.

The FBI intercepted encrypted text messages among about 20 individuals who shared detailed maps of the area. They discussed the need for a ‘safe house’ and escape routes following the attack, as revealed in the documents. The documents do not suggest how close these attackers were to executing their plan before its disruption last week.

The FBI was alerted to the threat on June 10, just four days before the mixed martial arts event set in the South Garden of the White House. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the halt of the planned attacks in a Tuesday morning post. Quick actions by the FBI, along with partners and the Department of Justice, led to several arrests across various states.

Five individuals were detained in Ohio, Missouri, and California, said a law enforcement official familiar with the matter. The official spoke anonymously as the information was not yet public. Among those arrested was Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old Ohio resident. His mother contacted local law enforcement about his gun purchases and online activities, leading to his arrest.

Proper, charged with firearm offenses and attempted assassination of a U.S. official, appeared in court on Monday. He admitted to planning an attack in an interview with law enforcement. According to the affidavit, the group started its communications through a TikTok group named ‘Vanguard of the Old’ last March.

The group claimed they wanted to protect the U.S., which they believed was headed in the wrong direction. They felt the nation needed a reset, and voiced concerns over those linked to Jeffrey Epstein governing the country.

Discussions on the attack’s logistics happened via Signal, a messaging app with end-to-end encryption. Authorities reported a main chat involving about 19 people and smaller secondary chats. Messages retrieved from Proper’s phone highlighted discussions of targeting several legislators due to their support for Israel.

Proper planned to drive with firearms and body armor to a meeting point in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He stated others in the group intended to fire at the White House, despite his lack of intent to do so.

The attack plan involved detonating drones over the north side of the White House, triggering an evacuation into sniper fire. The operation, according to Proper, aimed to initiate a revolution in the U.S.

President Donald Trump, attending the UFC event on Sunday for his 80th birthday, was allegedly unaware of the failed plot. Trump, once an acquaintance of Epstein, ended ties before Epstein’s public exposure and suicide in 2019.

While in France for a G7 summit, Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he hadn’t been briefed about the foiled attack.