WASHINGTON, D.C. – The suspected ringleader of the failed terrorist plot at last weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn is a Mexican illegal alien who overstayed a B2 visitor visa, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The FBI arrested Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez in Omaha, Neb., on June 14 for his alleged involvement in the plot to carry out a mass-casualty attack against government officials and other attendees at Sunday’s UFC event at the White House.
Four other co-conspirators were arrested last weekend in Ohio, Missouri, and California, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Ohio man is Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old who graduated from Danville High School through the Knox County Career Center’s Landscape & Management program in May.
Proper was arrested June 10 after his mother notified the Danville Police Department and Knox County Sheriff’s Office of concerns about her son’s “recent conduct, including firearms purchases and communicating with certain individuals online,” according to a federal affidavit.
At the time of his arrest, Proper was enrolled in Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
According to the affidavit, Proper is charged with:
— conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
— attempted murder of any officer or employee of the United States.
— possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
— receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony.
According to published reports, the plot involved at least 12 suspects across the United States who adhered to an “accelerationist” ideology and hoped to bring down American capitalism, according to federal law enforcement sources.
Proper waived his right to a detention hearing Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Southern Ohio. Proper is being held without bond at the Franklin County Jail in Columbus.
Proper has retained new legal counsel in the case, according to the federal court docket. Strongsville attorney Joseph Patituce will represent Proper going forward.
Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez
On June 16, the Department of Justice announced federal charges for the five suspects, including the 31-year-old Alvarez, who went by the alias “Shepherd.”
The FBI assessed Alvarez was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack. Alvarez detailed the plot in an encrypted group chat, including the planned use of “counter sniper(s) and drones,” with the explicit intention of being “as deadly as we can get.”
Alvarez and his co-conspirators face federal charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer for Alvarez.
“This illegal alien from Mexico should never have been allowed in our country. He was the ringleader of a failed terror attack targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.
“He and his co-conspirators now face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds. He will face justice and swiftly be removed from our country.”
Alvarez entered the United States on a B2 visitor visa and failed to depart before it expired in December 2001. The Obama Administration granted him Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in 2014.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio detailed the alleged involvement of the other suspects in custody.
Bryan Roa
According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the California residence of Bryan Omar Roa, 24. They reportedly 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 allegedly found messages in a group with Thomas, Proper, and others discussing an attack at the UFC event at the White House, with some users discussing using drones rigged with explosives to initiate the attack, with rooftop snipers killing individuals.
Law enforcement also allegedly found Instagram videos Roa had posted of himself shooting guns.
Michael Alan Thomas
According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, Michael Alan Thomas, 32, allegedly participated in a group chat planning an attack at the UFC event at the White House.
In a group chat, on June 7, he allegedly 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, under a pseudonym, allegedly described “tiers” of operators within their anti-government group, with tier 1 being operators on the ground, tier 2 being drivers and drone operators, tier 3 being logistical suppliers, and tier 4 being 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.”
In the same group chats, Thomas discussed meeting with Roa in person in Southern California in order to conduct “marksmen training” and reflected the group needed to train for “gorilla style warfare.”
In a June 13 search warrant, FBI agents allegedly seized from Thomas’ residence a rifle, 30-round extended magazines for the rifle, 180 of rounds of ammunition, and a pistol.
Daniel Eskridge
Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri was charged with conspiracy to commit murder on White House grounds. According to an affidavit filed in the Western District of Missouri, the FBI identified Eskridge while reviewing electronic communications on Proper’s cell phone.
The co-conspirators had electronic chats on encrypted social media platforms. In those chats, members of the group allegedly discussed assassinating several U.S. Senators, Representatives, and prominent business executives.
Members of the group targeted some legislators based on the group’s perceived belief that the legislators accepted money from pro-Israel lobbies.
When discussing potential targets, Eskridge indicated that the target was “big and someone a majority of the country knows.” In the discussions, power grids were also identified as potential targets.
On May 22, Eskridge distributed a picture of tactical equipment, including a rifle, helmet, and ballistic vest.
Also according to the affidavit, in a separate chat group, a conversation took place in early June when Eskridge and some of the other chat group members discussed their plan to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event.
Specifically, Thomas stated, “Pensilvania [sic] avenue.” Eskridge said the group should obtain $1,300 in U.S. currency and 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 provide them the funding to 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 residence. Agents recovered rifles, a shot gun, pistol, and other tactical gear.
The photos below are courtesy of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office seized during the investigation into Danville’s Tycen Proper and his alleged connection with the plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event on June 14 at the White House.
