A mother’s decision to alert authorities about her teenage son’s disturbing online behavior and recent gun purchases helped thwart a planned attack on a UFC event at the White House over the weekend, according to court documents and law enforcement officials. The FBI says multiple suspects are now in custody, and the alleged conspiracy—involving drones and snipers—was “stopped cold.”
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrests in a social media post, praising the rapid response from federal and local agencies. A federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told USA TODAY that at least 14 young adults and possibly younger individuals from states like Ohio and Texas had planned to travel to Washington, D.C., with the intent to cause harm. The tip initially came to local police, then was passed to the Secret Service and FBI, leading to the involvement of the Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit.
The investigation centers on 19-year-old Tycen Proper, whose mother first contacted authorities in Knox County, Ohio, on June 10. She expressed concerns about his online communications, recent firearms purchases, and travel plans, according to a criminal complaint. Proper’s father told investigators his son had met “random” people online and planned to leave that weekend to meet them, even conducting “recons” with the group.
Investigators tracked a chat on the encrypted app Signal, leading to five arrests. The chats included discussions about using drones to attack the UFC event, luring out the crowd, and potential mass violence. Proper allegedly told investigators the group planned to stage a demonstration outside the White House, fly small drones laden with explosives to force an evacuation, and act as snipers to shoot fleeing people. Targets included wealthy individuals and politicians, with Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee named specifically in the chats.
Proper faces charges including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder of a federal officer, and firearm-related offenses. His family turned over thousands of rounds of ammunition, plate carriers, an AR-style rifle, and a bullpup rifle painted with an American flag. Proper was taken to a hospital for emergency admission due to homicidal ideologies.
President Donald Trump, attending the G7 summit in France, said he was unaware of the alleged plot. The UFC event on June 14, held on the White House South Lawn, coincided with Trump’s 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump and family members, along with Vice President JD Vance and other officials, attended as the champion was crowned.
The Secret Service confirmed its role in the investigation, noting that its Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit—a high-tech team created last year to disrupt threats—worked around the clock. The unit previously dismantled a network of devices used for telecommunications threats against senior officials.
