A mother’s warning helped investigators unravel what they call a major terror plot against the White House.
Five men are in custody across four states after the FBI says it disrupted a plot to attack the White House during Sunday’s UFC event, which coincided with President Trump’s 80th birthday.
“I’d say it was unique due to the numbers involved, the level of planning involved,” said Matt Quinn with the U.S. Secret Service.
According to court documents, investigators say the first phase of the attack involved explosive-laden drones and snipers targeting government officials and others attending the event. A second phase allegedly called for suspects to breach the White House gates.
“This is a terrorist plot,” said Vice President JD Vance. “That’s not a few guys doing crazy stuff. That is a coordinated plan, terrorist plot. Thank God we thwarted it.”
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Authorities say 19-year-old Tycen Proper of Ohio, one of the suspects charged in the case, spent roughly $3,000 of his graduation money on weapons, ammunition and tactical gear.
Court documents say Proper’s mother alerted authorities four days before the UFC event after becoming concerned about his recent firearm purchases and online communications. Investigators say those messages included expressions of hatred toward President Trump, Israel, and billionaires and reflected anti-government and extremist views.
The FBI also says it uncovered an encrypted Signal chat group on Proper’s cellphone called “Hunters.” According to investigators, the group included 23 members who were allegedly discussing plans to carry out the attack.
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President Trump, Vice President Vance, and tech billionaire Elon Musk were all identified as potential targets. Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the event, he was also listed.
“It was a serious threat. It was an active plot, and it’s ongoing,” said Quinn.
“Twenty-three people do not get to the point where they’re gonna commit a mass terror incident in Washington, DC, without some serious funding, without some serious coordination,” said Vance.
FBI Director Kash Patel says law enforcement agencies became aware of the threat in time to stop the attack before it could be carried out, saying the plot was “stopped cold.”
Authorities say the investigation remains active. More arrests are possible, and additional search warrants are expected. In the past two years, there have been three major attempts on President Trump’s life and the Secret Service reports an uptick in threat cases this year.
