A 19-year-old's mother called local police late on June 10 because she was worried about her son's large gun purchases and the online group he'd fallen in with. Days later, the FBI says that call helped it crack open a plot to attack the UFC event on the White House South Lawn.

Five men have been arrested across four states and each charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Prosecutors describe the alleged plan in unusual detail: fly explosive-laden drones into buildings near the event to spark panic, steer the fleeing crowd toward a pre-staged sniper team, then send a "second wave" to storm the White House gate. [1]

The son, Tycen Proper of Ohio, allegedly spent $3,000 of his graduation money on guns, ammunition, magazines and plate carriers. Investigators say they recovered thousands of rounds at his parents' home, and his family voluntarily turned the equipment over.

What's confirmed, and what's hype

The plot was real and "an active" one, according to Secret Service deputy director Matt Quinn. But officials say the UFC event itself was "never at risk," because the investigation was already running by the weekend. [2] The party went ahead Sunday for President Trump's 80th birthday, with about 4,300 invited guests on the South Lawn and another 85,000 watching nearby. [3] Asked about the foiled plot at the G7 summit, Trump said, "I haven't heard about it." [4]

So how does a teenager end up here? Prosecutors say the group came together around March through a TikTok group called "Vanguard of the Old," recruiting members on the app and organizing over encrypted chats. They allegedly wanted to "jumpstart" a revolution by shooting wealthy people and politicians, citing grievances about government corruption, the Epstein files, and data centers draining local water supplies. Court filings say the targets they discussed included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elon Musk, though not all of them attended.

Estimates of the wider network vary: NBC News reported 19 suspected participants [4], while Fox News put the figure at 23. [1] The case is ongoing, with suspects still at large, and a preliminary hearing is set for June 29.

Sources

Primary source: Explosive UFC White House event drone attack may have been foiled after a suspect's mom reported him

  1. FBI disrupts alleged explosive-drone plot targeting White House UFC event, officials say - Fox News — reporting
  2. Secret Service, FBI stop drone plot targeting UFC event at White House - WJLA — reporting
  3. Group planned to attack White House UFC event using snipers and drones, FBI says — reporting
  4. FBI arrests 5 in alleged plot to attack White House UFC event with explosives-laden drones and guns - NBC News — reporting