Overview
- A federal grand jury in Columbus returned a two-count indictment Thursday charging eight men with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government property and of a federal official.
- Prosecutors say the plot planned explosive-laden drones to force a mass evacuation at the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn and pre-positioned snipers to shoot fleeing attendees and specific high-value targets including President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
- Law enforcement says the probe began after a June 10 tip from the family of 19-year-old Tycen Proper, led to arrests across several states in mid-June, and concluded this week with the arrest of the eighth defendant in West Virginia.
- Investigators seized devices and chat logs showing organizers used Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok and Instagram, built a tiered participant system, and amassed money, firearms, body armor, explosives, drones and medical gear during May and June.
- The indictment replaces scattered complaints with a single federal case in the Southern District of Ohio, the defendants face penalties up to 15 years and potentially life sentences, and the consolidated prosecution is likely to prompt more hearings and scrutiny of White House event security and encrypted messaging.