Eight charged over alleged conspiracy to attack White House UFC event

Eight people have been charged with terrorism offences over an alleged plot to kill government officials and other high-profile figures, including President Donald Trump, at last month's UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House.

The men, aged 19 to 32, are all charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, as well as conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official.

This week, one of the accused was arrested in West Virginia, adding to a list of suspects already detained.

The accused could face life in prison if convicted on the murder charges and up to 15 years if they are found guilty on the terror offences.

The alleged plot was discovered after the mother of one of the suspects, Tycen J Proper, called local authorities on 10 June - days before the televised mixed martial arts event on 14 June, which was part of celebrations for the nation's 250th anniversary.

Proper's mother was concerned about his large firearms purchases and what she had seen of his online communication with a group that claimed to be made up of former military members and Christian-based.

They had specifically discussed "grievances about government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centres taking up all the water in communities, and other government actions," prosecutors previously said.

According to the FBI, Proper said the group wanted to "jumpstart a revolution in the United States" by attacking the event.

Part of the plan involved striking nearby buildings with explosive-laden drones and firing on "high value targets", prosecutors alleged.

By using the drones, the alleged plotters aimed to spark panic and draw the fleeing crowd toward a sniper team, according to federal prosecutors. A "second wave" of attackers was then allegedly supposed to storm the White House gate.

An estimated 4,300 people including the president, Vice President JD Vance, senior cabinet officials, and lawmakers were present for the invite-only event on the South Lawn of the presidential compound.

Court filings related to another accused, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, said the group allegedly eyed potential targets that included Trump and Vance, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk, and several elected officials - though not all attended the UFC event.

Proper reportedly admitted to being part of planning the attack, telling law enforcement officials the group began communicating with one another in March and that members were primarily recruited through TikTok.

Officials said the men used online platforms including Signal, Instagram, TikTok, and Discord to plan the attack.

It is unclear if the group is affiliated with any larger, established organisation.

As well as Proper and Alvarez, US officials identified the accused as Daniel K Eskridge, William LS Falkner, Jordan W Rincker, Bryan O Roa, Michael A Thomas, and Chandler D Scaggs, who was arrested this week in West Virginia.

Law enforcement documents show they were based all over the country from California to Missouri and Nebraska.

A ninth person, Alexander Iniguez Mercado, was arrested last week and charged with obstruction of justice.

Mercado is accused of deleting the Signal app from his phone after being contacted by an FBI agent - wiping evidence of an alleged connection to the group. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The UFC event coincided with Trump's 80th birthday, and came two months after a shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner that he attended and one month after a man was killed by Secret Service agents after opening fire at a White House checkpoint.