Topline<\/p>\n
The mother of one of the alleged plotters of an attack on the Freedom 250 UFC event at the White House reported him to authorities after she became concerned about his weapons purchases and involvement with an online group angry about “government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files\u201d and \u201cdata centers taking up all the water in communities,\u201d according to an affidavit filed.<\/p>\n
Patel offered few immediate details about the plot, but Fox News reported five people were in custody for a plan that involved explosive drones and a sniper team.<\/p>\n
Anadolu via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old from Ohio, was charged with attempted murder of a federal officer, conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S., and federal firearms charges for the alleged plot FBI Director Kash Patel said<\/a> his department foiled before the UFC event took place.<\/p>\n Proper\u2019s mother contacted federal investigators after he quit his job, began acquiring gear and firearms and began meeting with online contacts for what the suspect\u2019s father called \u201cmissions,\u201d according to the affidavit<\/a> submitted by an FBI agent.<\/p>\n Proper allegedly told investigators he began speaking with members of a group on TikTok called \u201cVanguard of the Old\u201d in March\u2014a group said to believe the U.S. \u201cneeded to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt,\u201d with some members believing \u201cpeople who were involved with Jeffiney Epstein should not govern the country.\u201d<\/p>\n The group planned to stage a protest near the White House, then detonate a drone north of the UFC arena erected on the White House lawn\u2014which they hoped would cause a mass evacuation toward the south, where other group members would target \u201chigh value targets\u201d with snipers and long guns, according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n The targets allegedly included \u201cwealthy people and politicians,\u201d with Proper naming Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., as a potential target because she took \u201cmoney from the Israel pro Israel lobby [sic] and supports them.\u201d<\/p>\n Patel said the FBI became aware of the plot on June 10 involving people from \u201coutside of the National Capital Region,\u201d and the Associated Press<\/a> later reported arrests were made in Ohio, Missouri and California, citing anonymous law enforcement officials.<\/p>\n What Do We Know About the Group?<\/p>\n The \u201cVanguard of the Old\u201d began on TikTok, according to the affidavit. According to the court filing, the group \u201cstated that they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction.\u201d The group also claimed to be “ex-military and Christian-based,\u201d and Proper\u2019s mother believed members were \u201cusing religion to manipulate and influence her son.\u201d Later, \u201cmore serious\u201d members of the group migrated to encrypted messaging app Signal, where they allegedly plotted the attack in a group consisting of 19 individuals, the affidavit said.<\/p>\n What Have Officials Said About the Alleged Plot?<\/p>\n Patel did not say how many people were arrested, nor did he offer immediate details about the plot, but unnamed officials told Fox News Digital<\/a> five people were in custody for the alleged attack plan. In a subsequent statement on X<\/a>, Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran said his department worked with the FBI in the days leading up to the event \u201cto identify those responsible and hold them accountable,\u201d noting further details would be made available in court filings. <\/p>\n Crucial Quote<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t heard about it, no. I haven’t heard about it, no,\u201d President Donald Trump said when asked<\/a> if he was briefed on the alleged attack plans at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday morning. \u201cThe attack that I watched were the fighters.\u201d Speaking to \u201cFox and Friends\u201d<\/a> on Tuesday morning, Vice President JD Vance said he also only heard about the plan this morning, calling it \u201cvery dark stuff\u201d and blaming the plot on \u201crhetoric\u201d from Democrats. \u201cThis is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence,\u201d the vice president said.<\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n The UFC held a massive mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday evening, naming the event \u201cUFC Freedom 250\u201d in honor of the nation\u2019s upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing and of the Declaration of Independence. UFC CEO Dana White is a longtime Trump ally, and the event also took place on the president\u2019s 80th birthday. The event was attended by Vance and several Cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Other notable guests included Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison, as well as billionaire Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.<\/p>\n