Five men allegedly planned to use drones to bomb President Trump's UFC event and then shoot fleeing attendees in the ensuing panic, according to federal prosecutors.
The FBI arrested the men over the weekend, before the June 14 event, in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California.
"The FBI, our law enforcement partners and our U.S. Attorneys did what they do every day to make America Safe through quick response and vigilance in investigating, disrupting, and dismantling this alleged plan before it could be carried out," said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. "We will take immediate and aggressive action to identify and prosecute those who incite and plan acts of violence."
Federal authorities have charged 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, with conspiracy to commit murder.
The Justice Department says that the men, who could face life in prison if convicted, planned to deploy drones armed with explosives at the UFC Freedom 250 event that was held on the President's birthday on the south lawn of the White House.
The government says the men planned to meet in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The day before the UFC event some of the men were still arrested at their residences.
"Protecting the President of the United States and the White House grounds is priority number one for the U.S. Secret Service," said Director Sean M Curran of the U.S. Secret Service. "The landscape has changed, and as a result we have seen a dramatic rise in threats against our protectees."
Proper was interviewed by law enforcement on June 11 and admitted to the plot. He told investigators that they had begun communicating in March, and people who were more serious about the plan had moved to an encrypted chat app.
Investigators were able to find messages on Proper's phone discussing possible sniper positions related to the plot.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Bryan Roa's home and vehicle. They seized a rifle, handgun, tactical belt, ammunition and a rifle magazine, a two-way radio, and an infrared laser target pointer.
A search of Roa's phone by investigators turned up messages in a group with Thomas, Proper, and others discussing an attack at the UFC event, with some users discussing using drones rigged with explosives to initiate the attack. There also was discussion of rooftop snipers being used to kill individuals.
Law enforcement stated that Thomas participated in the group chat planning of the attack. On June 7, he wrote, "$1300 gets us the drones and the charges. Yes we should all pitch in and we need it asap..."
In another group chat, Thomas, using a pseudonym, described the group's structure as being a series of "tiers." Tier 1 was described as on-the-ground operators; tier 2, drivers and drone operators; tier 3, logistical suppliers; and tier 4, social media influencers.
"Tier one status is not something to take lightly. ... We will make sure they have...All the tier 2 support we can provide. We will try to break them out of jail if we need to," he wrote.
Thomas discussed meeting with Roa in person in California to conduct "marksmen training" and said the group needed to train for "gorilla style warfare."
On June 13, FBI agents executed a search warrant in and seized from Thomas' California residence a rifle, 30-round extended magazines for the rifle, 180 of rounds of ammunition, and a pistol.
Eskridge also was part of the group chats. In the chats, Eskridge specifically discussed potential targets, such as assassinating several U.S. Senators, Representatives, and prominent business executives. The group's members expressed views that these legislators had taken money from pro-Israel lobbies.
When discussing the planned attack on the UFC event, Eskridge indicated the group should get $1,300 and that they needed "5 teams of 3 each team consisting of 1 sniper, 1 tier one operator as support/ look out, [and] one drone operator."
Eskridge said the money would fund the purchase "drones and charges," and encouraged the group to all "pitch in." On June 13, law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant of Eskridge's Missouri residence and took rifles, a shot gun, pistol, and other tactical gear.
According to the charges filed in Nebraska, the FBI identified Alvarez as the individual using the name "Shepherd" in the encrypted chat app. The FBI believes that Alvarez was the person planning, organizing and directing the planned attack.
"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," he wrote in the group chat in June.
Shepherd also allegedly posted other messages, including replying to another member on making drones with explosives: "As many and as deadly as we can get."
Authorities alleged that Shepherd also shared a picture and directions to a safe location of an old Nebraska church, telling group members to take back roads. Federal authorities say that later that evening, he provided locations for drone launch points and sniper positions.
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