A federal grand jury indicted eight men on Thursday for their roles in planning an attack on the UFC fight at the White House last month.
The Department of Justice said the two-count indictment, returned in Ohio, replaces the initial charges filed in criminal complaints spread across various states. The initial seven suspects were arrested and charged in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, California, and Washington. Chandler Scaggs, 21, was apprehended in West Virginia by the FBI this week and subsequently added to the indictment.
The charges include conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official, according to the DOJ.
Justin Gaethje celebrates defeating Ilia Topuria in their lightweight championship bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, June 15, 2026. (Evan Vucci/Pool Photo via AP)
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The defendants planned to deploy drones at the UFC event on June 14, forcing a mass evacuation and diverting crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team. The plotters would’ve then theoretically stormed the White House. The FBI thwarted the attack before it could happen.
Law enforcement first learned of the terrorist plot on June 10, four days before the high-profile cage fight. FBI Director Kash Patel informed the public about the foiled attack two days after the event.
The plot began in May when the group started acquiring money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical equipment, and communications equipment in service of the conspired attack, according to the indictment.
The group allegedly planned to murder President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other federal officials at UFC Freedom 250. Tech mogul Elon Musk and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were also supposed to be targeted because they were expected to be in attendance. It’s unclear whether Musk went to the fight, but Netanyahu was not there.
Scaggs was assigned to be one of the snipers in the plotted attack, the DOJ said. He was set to be picked up by fellow co-conspirator Tycen Proper, 19, on his way to Washington, D.C., but Proper was arrested beforehand. Scaggs tried to coordinate travel plans with another person in the group. They contacted each other via group chats on Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok, and Instagram.
FBI THWARTS EXPLOSIVE DRONE ATTACK AGAINST UFC FREEDOM 250 FIGHT
The other six co-conspirators were Abraham Alvarez, 31; Daniel Eskridge, 32; William Falkner, 21; Jordan Rincker, 28; Bryan Roa, 25; and Michael Thomas, 32.
If convicted on conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, the defendants could face up to 15 years in prison. If convicted on conspiring to commit murder, they could face a lifetime prison sentence. The case is being held in the Southern District of Ohio.
