2 more suspects charged in multi-state White House UFC attack plot: Justice Department

WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors have charged two more individuals as co-conspirators in a thwarted multi-state plot to launch an alleged mass-casualty drone and sniper assault at the White House UFC event, according to the Department of Justice. 

Jordan W. Rincker, 28, of St. Joseph, Missouri, and William Lee Spartacus Falkner of were charged on Monday, expanding the scope of a domestic terrorism network that authorities say planned a multiphased attack during the crowded June 15 event. 

While the core cell members allegedly focused on drone payloads and sniper tactics, newly filed court documents reveal that Rincker acted as a critical logistical and financial pipeline. Falkner was charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the Western District of Washington. 

Investigators alleged Rincker directly funded and armed key members of the conspiracy, facilitating the movement of weapons and personnel toward the nation's capital.

According to the criminal complaint, Rincker’s operational involvement tied him directly to the cell's primary coordinators.

Prosecutors allege that he accepted a $1,200 cash payment from suspected ringleader Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, and later personally transferred a pump-action shotgun to Alvarez during a face-to-face meeting.

Furthermore, Rincker is accused of providing a $100 digital transfer to co-defendant Bryan Omar Roa to help finance Roa’s cross-country drive from California to Washington, D.C., to participate in the planned assault.

Additionally, investigators reviewed cell data and online communications and identified a number of conspirators, including Falkner. 

Falkner allegedly has experience with drones, both manufacturing and piloting them. In the communications, he discussed loading explosives on the drones and how to configure and fly them for maximum destructive impact, according to the DOJ. 

Other new details

Dig deeper:

Fox News also reported Monday that the conspiracy’s origins trace back to a TikTok community known as "Vanguard of the Old."

Investigators say participants initially used the public platform around March to share standard workout videos and tactical content before escalating their communications and moving to encrypted platforms like Signal and SimpleX. 

The network eventually unraveled after the mother of 19-year-old Ohio defendant Tycen Proper called in a tip to the FBI, according to Fox News. That tip led federal investigators to interview Proper at an Ohio medical facility on June 11, where he admitted the network had been finalizing their strategy since March.

A search of Proper's phone exposed an extensive network stretching well beyond the original core suspects. According to court records obtained by Fox News, investigators uncovered a primary Signal chat with roughly 19 participants, alongside smaller operational groups divided by location and specific roles.

That digital breakthrough sparked immediate friction behind closed doors. Two senior U.S. officials told Fox News that Secret Service leadership fiercely fought to delay making the investigation public. Agency leaders reportedly feared that announcing the bust too early would tip off remaining suspects, allowing them to destroy their encrypted messages and severely complicating the ongoing multi-state manhunt.

Previously captured suspects and alleged phased assault plan

The backstory:

The unsealed records expand on a sprawling, multi-state FBI operation that dismantled the network's highly coordinated plot to launch a mass-casualty assault at the White House, according to previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting. 

The targets were federal lawmakers and thousands of spectators attending the historic "UFC Freedom 250" fight on the South Lawn, per the DOJ. 

READ MORE: 5 accused in alleged drone and sniper plot targeting White House UFC event

The five primary suspects, all American citizens, were intercepted during high-risk weekend raids across four states. They now face several federal charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

According to federal prosecutors, the group's timeline aimed to bypass intense White House security with an alleged phased aerial and ground assault. The government claims that phase one involved flying small, explosive-laden drones directly over the northern side of the makeshift UFC arena on the White House grounds.

Prosecutors allege these intentional detonations were designed to spark immediate chaos and force an emergency evacuation of the roughly 4,300 attendees—which included an estimated 1,200 active-duty service members alongside prominent lawmakers and thousands of spectators.

Court documents state that the alleged phase two would begin as the panicked crowd fled the arena toward Pennsylvania Avenue, where hidden snipers were allegedly ordered to open fire on the escaping high-value targets.

Furthermore, intelligence reports cited by prosecutors indicate that a subsequent stage of the operation involved an alleged plan for a ground force to attempt to storm the perimeter gates of the executive mansion.

Operational roles and network structure

Big picture view:

At the center of the operational planning was 31-year-old Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska. Operating under the handle "Shepherd," Alvarez allegedly mapped out sniper coordinates and drone launch sectors while building a post-attack escape plan, also according to previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting.

Following that June 11 hospital interview, federal agents discovered that Proper had amassed a massive arsenal of weapons and actively tracked the movements of members of Congress. Data recovered from his phone then directly led investigators to the remaining core members of the cell.

Among them are Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Missouri, who is accused of organizing the network into a rigid paramilitary structure, and Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of California, the alleged financial architect who pooled funds for drones and explosives, per FOX 5. The digital trail also implicated Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of California, who was arrested with an assortment of tactical gear and messages detailing the attack strategy.

What's next:

While federal officials state the immediate threat to the capital has been neutralized by these initial arrests, the FBI's forensic teams are actively working to track down the remaining individuals hidden within the group's encrypted chat logs.

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