The alleged ringleader of the UFC Freedom 250 terrorist plot at the White House is a Mexican illegal alien who was granted DACA during the Obama administration.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, a Mexican illegal alien, was one of five suspects involved in the failed terrorist plot against UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, June 14.
On June 16, the U.S. Department of Justice announced federal charges for the five suspects, including Alvarez, who went by the alias “Shepherd” and flashed a smile in his jail mugshot.
🚨These are the 5 men the FBI just took down before they could attack the UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn.
Tycen Proper, 19 – Ohio
Bryan Omar Roa, 24 – California
Michael Alan Thomas, 32 – California
Daniel Eskridge, 32 – Missouri
Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31 – Nebraska… pic.twitter.com/tzy0jstMbb— ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸 (@BarronTNews_) June 16, 2026
Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, and his co-conspirators face federal charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer for Alvarez.
Alvarez came to the United States as a child. He initially entered the U.S. on a B2 visitor visa and failed to depart before it expired in December 2001. The Obama Administration granted him Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in 2014.
“This illegal alien from Mexico should never have been allowed in our country,” said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “He will face justice and swiftly be removed from our country.”
Alleged ringleader of UFC terror plot is an ILLEGAL ALIEN
Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez and 4 other co-conspirators planned to attack the USA 250 event at the WH using explosive drones and snipers.
Alvarez is an illegal from Mexico, was granted DACA by the Obama Administration,… pic.twitter.com/9MWxsKsAr9
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 18, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel shared on social media that law enforcement officials had disrupted “planned attacks” meant to target the highly publicized and patriotic sporting event.
On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region – and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of… pic.twitter.com/PbWkIk1Lr5
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 16, 2026
Agents from FBI Omaha arrested Alvarez on June 14 — the day of the fight — after a raid on an old church in the small town of Western, Neb., located in Saline County, according to local reports.
Four other co-conspirators were arrested in Ohio, Missouri and California for their alleged involvement in the plot.
The DOJ said Alvarez provided a picture and directions for a safe zone at an old church in Nebraska, which he intended to be the “safe zone” for the group. Records show that he owns the church building where the raid took place.
“From his home here in Nebraska, Alvarez allegedly directed and recruited others across the country to conduct a horrific attack against government officials in a mass casualty event,” Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha field office said in a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Lesley Woods, U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, said the “evil plot” was disrupted “in record time.”
The suspects planned to carry out a mass-casualty attack against government officials and other attendees at the mixed martial arts event held outdoors on the South Lawn of the White House.
About 4,300 people were invited to attend the exclusive, in-person UFC Freedom 250 in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
The murderous plot included using drones equipped with explosives to force an evacuation from the White House event. As people scattered, they then planned to deploy snipers to fire upon “high value targets” within the fleeing crowd, the U.S. Department of Justice shared in a news release.
The other co-conspirators charged include Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio; Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, California; Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California; and Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri.
FBI investigators allege that Alvarez was responsible for planning, organizing and directing the planned attack.
Alvarez detailed the plot in an encrypted group chat, including the planned use of “counter sniper(s) and drones,” with the explicit intention of being “as deadly as we can get.”
In June, Shepherd posted, “This is the best action I see. Position your teams in the purple dots (counter sniper and drones) Long range (circled area) (great shot) Easy out into the river.”
Shepherd also allegedly posted other messages including replying to another member on making drones with explosives, “As many and as deadly as we can get.” According to court documents, Alvarez claimed to have one drone and was “working on more.”
FBI and other law enforcement learned of the plot on June 10, after Tycen Proper’s mother alerted local police to his concerning behavior.
“As alleged in our complaint, the investigation revealed that a man from Knox County, Ohio, amassed weapons, ammunition and tactical gear at his home in Ohio, connected with like-minded individuals online & had identified targets for an attack,” said Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
According to the DOJ, the investigation into Proper led to Alvarez, Roa and Thomas. Messages between Proper and Alvarez were traced back to a Cox Communications internet account associated with Alvarez, according to court records.
The suspects now facing federal charges were reportedly motivated by anti-government angst and sought to jump-start a revolution in the U.S. with the violence, Fox News Digital reported. They cited grievances such as government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centers using water and the influence of Israel over domestic politics.
If convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
