SouthernWorldwide.com – Federal authorities have apprehended five individuals suspected of orchestrating a mass-casualty attack targeting UFC Freedom 250, an event held on the White House grounds attended by President Donald Trump and other high-ranking government officials.
According to federal court documents, the group’s members initially connected around March through a TikTok community known as “Vanguard of the Old.” Within this online space, participants allegedly underwent a vetting process involving identification documents, workout videos, and tactical content before migrating to private Signal chats.
The court filings do not specify whether “Vanguard of the Old” was a formal organization or merely an online chat forum. The documents identify five arrested participants from Ohio, California, Missouri, and Nebraska, detailing a network that prosecutors claim evolved from online discussions into concrete operational planning for an attack on UFC Freedom 250.
Investigators allege that members discussed employing explosive-laden drones to incite an evacuation, followed by gunfire targeting politicians and other individuals as crowds dispersed. While prosecutors assert the group had developed operational plans, some officials, such as Vice President JD Vance, have suggested the conspiracy did not reach the stage of an imminent threat.
Court documents name an Omaha, Nebraska, man, known online as “Shepherd,” as the alleged leader of the group. Prosecutors state that Shepherd was instrumental in establishing the organization’s hierarchical structure, directing planning discussions, and coordinating members across multiple states via encrypted communications.
Once within these encrypted chats, prosecutors indicate that members organized themselves into a tiered structure, assigning specific roles to each participant. Court records describe Tier 1 members as frontline operatives responsible for executing missions and acquiring firearms and body armor. Other tiers encompassed drone operators, getaway drivers, recruiters, logistics personnel, technical support, and social media advocates.
The court records consistently reference military-style training and organization. Tycen Proper, the 19-year-old defendant from Ohio whose phone aided investigators in identifying other members of the alleged network, told investigators he believed many participants possessed prior military experience, according to court documents. His mother also stated that some members presented themselves online as former military personnel.
However, the filings do not identify any defendant as having verified military service. Investigators report that members also divided into smaller chat groups based on operational assignments and geographical locations. The network, according to investigators, extended well beyond the five men charged.
Court records show that Proper’s phone contained a primary Signal chat with approximately 19 participants, along with smaller operational chat groups organized by role and location. The differing perspectives on the threat’s severity emerged publicly on Tuesday when Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn, addressing questions about the case at an unrelated event, emphasized the Secret Service’s leading role in the investigation from its inception.
Quinn suggested that investigators deliberately withheld public disclosure while the case remained active to maintain its integrity and security. “In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan we chose not to leak it,” Quinn stated.
He further remarked, “I’ll tell you a phrase I learned early in my career in the New York field office and that’s don’t choke on your own smoke.” The investigation commenced on June 10 when Proper’s mother contacted local authorities, expressing concern over his recent behavior, according to court records.
Proper’s father informed investigators that his son had allegedly met individuals online, was planning “recons” with them, and intended to travel that weekend to meet group members. Family members also reported that Proper had allegedly purchased firearms, body armor, ammunition, and tactical gear, and had resigned from his job in preparation for what he described as “missions” and “recons.”
Following the acquisition of a warrant for Proper’s phone, investigators allege they discovered Signal chats containing maps of Washington, D.C., proposed sniper positions, drone launch sites, and discussions regarding escape routes. Prosecutors state that members allegedly discussed potential congressional targets, power infrastructure, and other political figures before focusing on UFC Freedom 250.
Proper’s mother told investigators that members of the group allegedly expressed anger regarding government corruption and the Epstein files. According to court records, group members allegedly believed the United States was heading in the wrong direction and needed to be “torn down” and rebuilt. Some participants allegedly argued that individuals connected to Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the country.
Prosecutors also allege that discussions increasingly centered on U.S. support for Israel and lawmakers perceived by group members as aligned with pro-Israel interests. The filings indicate that members discussed targeting politicians they believed were linked to pro-Israel lobbying organizations, while other conversations referenced billionaires and what participants described as “capitalist elites.”
Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from California, allegedly met for a training session in late May, according to messages obtained by law enforcement and shared in court records. “Noble and I trained on vehicle dismount, cover vs concealment, bounding, and basic marksmanship today,” Thomas reportedly wrote to the group on May 25, according to court records.
By early June, court records show that discussions within the group’s encrypted chats had shifted towards operational planning concerning UFC Freedom 250, which took place last Sunday. Court records reveal members discussing a rendezvous point in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where participants from multiple states were allegedly expected to convene before traveling to Washington.
Investigators also report that members allegedly exchanged information about safe houses, fallback locations, and escape routes, including plans to travel south along the Potomac River. The group’s alleged plan, according to court records, focused on creating chaos during the White House event before targeting government officials and other attendees as they fled.
Prosecutors state that members discussed deploying drones equipped with explosive devices over the north side of the UFC venue, aiming to trigger panic and force an evacuation. Investigators allege that group members planned to position shooters and snipers along anticipated evacuation routes south of the venue, where politicians and other targets would be vulnerable.
According to court records, a participant interviewed by the FBI in West Virginia stated that group members allegedly canceled the operation by Friday, two days before the event. This reported cancellation occurred after authorities had already initiated their investigation into the group, following a June 10 call from Proper’s mother.
Authorities arrested suspects in Ohio, California, Missouri, and Nebraska on Saturday and Sunday after executing a series of search warrants connected to the investigation. “They had not really done that much planning,” Vance commented. “And so, I get why people are so fascinated by it. I do think the political violence and rhetoric in this country is out of control. But thank God we have good law enforcement. We’ve got good FBI because it didn’t even get close to the point of execution.”
