8 men indicted in alleged plot to attack UFC 250 event at White House

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A federal grand jury has indicted eight men in an alleged plot to attack the UFC event at White House in which they planned to kill government officials and others, authorities said.The defendants were charged on July 9 in an indictment returned in Columbus, Ohio, the Department of Justice announced in a news release.Prosecutors say the men, spread across six states and ranging in age from 19 to 32, allegedly conspired to attack UFC Freedom 250, a June 14 mixed martial arts event President Donald Trump hosted on the South Lawn of the White House.The indictment charged the eight men with two counts: conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists; and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official, the Justice Department reported.Explosive drones and snipersAccording to the charging documents, the group allegedly planned to fly small drones laden with explosives near the UFC event, forcing an evacuation. Then, conspirators were allegedly planning to shoot at attendees as they fled toward awaiting snipers.The defendants were implicated in the investigation after the initial arrest of Tycen C. Proper, a 19-year-old man from Ohio.The indictment replaces the initial charges filed against all eight defendants in various districts across the country, the Justice Department said.If convicted of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison. Conspiring to commit murder carries a potential penalty of up to life in prison.Who was indicted in UFC White House attack plot?The following defendants have been indicted in connection to the alleged plot:Tycen Proper, 19, of Danville, OhioBryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, CaliforniaMichael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, CaliforniaAbraham H. Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, NebraskaDaniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Hamilton, MissouriWilliam L. S. Falkner, 21, of Belfair, WashingtonJordan W. Rincker, 28, of St. Joseph, MissouriChandler D. Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West VirginiaTrump, Vance, Musk were targeted, indictment saysThe indictment alleges the men began plotting in May to attack the UFC fight and kill Trump, Vice President JD Vance, billionaire Elon Musk, and other guests and elected officials including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Trump attended the event, staged without incident on his 80th birthday, along with several senior Republican lawmakers, donors and administration officials to commemorate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.Netanyahu did not attend.According to the indictment, the defendants met online through forums and chats on social media channels Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok and Instagram, where they recruited others, "encouraged each other to prepare for attacks," and conspired to stockpile money, guns, medical equipment, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones and more.The indictment also alleges the men "agreed on targets for the UFC Freedom 250 event and created operational plans to commit the attack and escape after the attack," the release continues.Some of the defendants, the Justice Department said, allegedly committed to put themselves “in harms way, break the law, and potentially go into hiding."Contributing: Bart Jansen, with USA TODAY; ReutersNatalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.