DHS says alleged White House UFC plot ringleader is Mexican national

An alleged ringleader of a plot to attack a UFC event on the White House grounds is a Mexican national who overstayed a tourist visa more than two decades ago and later received DACA protection, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

DHS identified him as Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, a resident of Omaha, Nebraska, one of five men charged in the alleged plot targeting UFC Freedom 250, which was held Sunday on the White House grounds.

According to DHS, Alvarez entered the United States on a B-2 tourist visa and failed to leave when it expired in 2001. He was later granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that protects some people brought to the U.S. as children from deportation.

Federal prosecutors have accused Alvarez of planning, organizing and directing the attack under the name “Shepherd” in encrypted chats. He was arrested by the FBI on Sunday.

The criminal complaint against Alvarez says investigators identified him as “Shepherd” after reviewing Signal chats and TikTok records. Prosecutors said the chats included maps of the Washington area, drone launch points, sniper positions and escape routes near the White House grounds.

The alleged plot involved using drones armed with explosives in and around the UFC event to force an evacuation, then positioning snipers to fire on “high value targets” in the fleeing crowd, according to prosecutors.

In one exchange about making drones with explosives, Alvarez allegedly told others to make them “as many and as deadly as we can get.” Prosecutors said he also described using three snipers in different locations and three to five drones, saying he had one drone and that others were being made.

The complaint says Alvarez also listed possible targets, including President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elon Musk. Prosecutors said the president was scheduled to attend the event, along with other officials.

Investigators said Alvarez provided directions for escape routes along the Potomac River and discussed a fallback location in Virginia. He also allegedly sent a photo of an old church in Nebraska and described it as a training ground and fallback location.

The broader case includes four other defendants: 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.

Investigators said the main encrypted chat used in the plot included about 19 people, with smaller chats organized by role and location.

The FBI said it learned of a potential threat on June 10 and carried out arrests over the weekend in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska and California.

The defendants face charges that include conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds. If convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, each could face up to life in prison.