Suspected Organizer of Drone Plot Targeting White House UFC Event Arrested in Nebraska

Federal authorities arrested a Mexican national living in Nebraska who they say was the central organizer of a foiled plot to attack a UFC event on the White House South Lawn using explosive drones and sniper fire.

Abraham Alvarez, 31, was taken into custody June 14 inside an abandoned church in Western, Nebraska, according to federal officials. Investigators said Alvarez planned to use the site as a staging area or safe house for himself and other alleged conspirators.

The FBI said Alvarez coordinated the plot from Nebraska and recruited participants from multiple states to target the UFC Freedom 250 event, which drew thousands of spectators to the White House grounds. The alleged plan called for explosive-laden drones to strike the fighting area, followed by snipers firing on attendees as they fled.

Investigators said the plot specifically targeted President Donald Trump and other senior government officials who were present at the event.

Four other suspects connected to the alleged conspiracy were arrested in Ohio, Missouri and California. Federal agents and local law enforcement disrupted the plot before any attack was carried out.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the Omaha field office said Alvarez directed others across the country as part of what authorities described as a planned large-scale attack on government officials. Agents worked around the clock to locate Alvarez, take him into custody and collect evidence from the scene, officials said.

The Department of Homeland Security said Alvarez entered the United States as a child on a B-2 visa that later expired. He remained in the country after receiving temporary relief from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said Alvarez should not have been permitted to remain in the country and described him as the key organizer of the attempted attack. She said he will face prosecution and swift removal from the United States.

Authorities are continuing to examine the role of roughly two dozen people connected to the alleged conspiracy.

Those charged face potential life sentences and fines of up to $250,000 for conspiracy to commit murder. They also face an additional maximum penalty of five years in prison for planning violent acts on White House grounds.

The FBI and partner agencies said the investigation remains active.

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