White House UFC: FBI Says Drone Plot Foiled, Crypto Sponsorships Land Center Octagon

Federal authorities said they disrupted an alleged plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event held Sunday on the White House South Lawn, according to criminal complaints and affidavits unsealed Tuesday. Prosecutors allege five men—Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska, and California residents Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas—planned to use explosive-laden drones to drive attendees from the venue before shooters targeted politicians and other "high value targets." "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," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X. "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." By the time authorities foiled the plot, UFC Freedom 250 had drawn thousands of spectators, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and members of Congress.

The card also served as a showcase for the crypto industry, with Crypto.com, Exodus, World Liberty Financial, and Polymarket participating through sponsorships and promotions—including a $1 million CRO token bonus pool and $250,000 in USD1 stablecoins. The Octagon also featured branding from VeChain and Stake, according to photos shared on X by freelance photographer Andrew Leyden. World Liberty Financial is the Trump-linked crypto venture behind the USD1 stablecoin, while Crypto.com's CRO token powers the Cronos network.

According to the filing, Proper told investigators that members of a TikTok group called "Vanguard of the Old" began communicating in March before moving discussions to Signal. Investigators said the group planned to meet in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and travel to Washington, D.C., where drones carrying explosives would detonate over the UFC venue. "Proper stated that the plan was for members of his group to act as snipers and additional shooters, preferably with long guns, staged at or near the southern evacuation point to conduct shootings of the members of the crowd and HVTs as they fled from the explosive devices which had just been detonated," FBI Task Force Officer Christopher Betts wrote in the complaint. Proper allegedly told investigators the goal was to "jump-start" a revolution in the United States.

The investigation began after Proper's family contacted law enforcement about his recent behavior, firearms purchases, and online activity, according to the filings. All five defendants face charges including conspiracy and weapons offenses, with additional charges pending as the multi-state probe continues, the Department of Justice said.