Topline
The mother of one of the alleged plotters of an attack on the Freedom 250 UFC event at the White House reported him to authorities after she became concerned about his weapons purchases and involvement with an online group angry about “government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files” and “data centers taking up all the water in communities,” according to an affidavit filed.
Patel offered few immediate details about the plot, but Fox News reported five people were in custody for a plan that involved explosive drones and a sniper team.
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Key Facts
Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old from Ohio, was charged with attempted murder of a federal officer, conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S., and federal firearms charges for the alleged plot FBI Director Kash Patel said his department foiled before the UFC event took place.
Proper’s mother contacted federal investigators after he quit his job, began acquiring gear and firearms and began meeting with online contacts for what the suspect’s father called “missions,” according to the affidavit submitted by an FBI agent.
Proper allegedly told investigators he began speaking with members of a group on TikTok called “Vanguard of the Old” in March—a group said to believe the U.S. “needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt,” with some members believing “people who were involved with Jeffiney Epstein should not govern the country.”
The group planned to stage a protest near the White House, then detonate a drone north of the UFC arena erected on the White House lawn—which they hoped would cause a mass evacuation toward the south, where other group members would target “high value targets” with snipers and long guns, according to the affidavit.
The targets allegedly included “wealthy people and politicians,” with Proper naming Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., as a potential target because she took “money from the Israel pro Israel lobby [sic] and supports them.”
Patel said the FBI became aware of the plot on June 10 involving people from “outside of the National Capital Region,” and the Associated Press later reported arrests were made in Ohio, Missouri and California, citing anonymous law enforcement officials.
What Do We Know About the Group?
The “Vanguard of the Old” began on TikTok, according to the affidavit. According to the court filing, the group “stated that they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction.” The group also claimed to be “ex-military and Christian-based,” and Proper’s mother believed members were “using religion to manipulate and influence her son.” Later, “more serious” members of the group migrated to encrypted messaging app Signal, where they allegedly plotted the attack in a group consisting of 19 individuals, the affidavit said.
What Have Officials Said About the Alleged Plot?
Patel did not say how many people were arrested, nor did he offer immediate details about the plot, but unnamed officials told Fox News Digital five people were in custody for the alleged attack plan. In a subsequent statement on X, Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran said his department worked with the FBI in the days leading up to the event “to identify those responsible and hold them accountable,” noting further details would be made available in court filings.
Crucial Quote
“I haven’t heard about it, no. I haven’t heard about it, no,” President Donald Trump said when asked if he was briefed on the alleged attack plans at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday morning. “The attack that I watched were the fighters.” Speaking to “Fox and Friends” on Tuesday morning, Vice President JD Vance said he also only heard about the plan this morning, calling it “very dark stuff” and blaming the plot on “rhetoric” from Democrats. “This is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence,” the vice president said.
Key Background
The UFC held a massive mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday evening, naming the event “UFC Freedom 250” in honor of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing and of the Declaration of Independence. UFC CEO Dana White is a longtime Trump ally, and the event also took place on the president’s 80th birthday. The event was attended by Vance and several Cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Other notable guests included Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison, as well as billionaire Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.