The FBI announced on 17 June that it had foiled a plot to attack the White House during a high‑profile UFC fight on the South Lawn. Five men were arrested across Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska, the Justice Department said, after prosecutors alleged the group intended to use explosive‑laden drones and snipers to target "high‑value targets" and then storm the White House gates.
According to court filings, the attackers had mapped Washington, DC, marking sniper positions, drone launch points and potential power‑grid targets. They also identified the president, vice‑president, Israeli prime minister and Elon Musk among the high‑value targets, the documents said.
The suspects are believed to have communicated through a TikTok group called "Vanguard of the Old Republic." One arrested, Tycen C Proper, admitted during an FBI interview that the group had been in contact since March and that they had promoted a “revolution” by shooting wealthy individuals and politicians.
All five men face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, with each potentially facing life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Proper, who was arrested in Ohio, faces three additional charges, including conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds, which carries a maximum five‑year sentence.
The plot was uncovered after Proper’s mother called local authorities on 10 June, citing his large firearms purchases and disturbing online exchanges with a former‑military‑and‑Christian‑based group. The FBI said the threat stopped cold, posting a status on social media about the multi‑state operation.
The White House event, part of President Donald Trump’s 80th‑birthday celebration and the nation’s 250th anniversary, hosted a series of UFC fights inside an outdoor arena. It followed a shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner earlier that month and a Secret Service shooting at a White House checkpoint the previous month.
