World
8 indicted for US White House cage fight plot last month targeting Trump, Netanyahu
A US federal grand jury on Thursday indicted eight defendants who plotted an attack against a White House event last month targeting Israel-linked politicians, US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The plot targeted a mixed martial arts event held on the White House lawn that Netanyahu did not actually attend. The primary targets were members of Congress who had received funding from the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.
The alleged conspirators planned to dispatch small, explosive-laden drones that would detonate over the event, forcing an evacuation.
Attackers armed with rifles, stationed near an evacuation point, would shoot their victims as they fled the UFC event, according to the plan described by federal prosecutors.
The defendants were named as Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska, Daniel Eskridge and Jordan Rincker of Missouri, William Falkner of Washington, Tycen Proper of Ohio, Chandler Scaggs of West Virginia, and Michael Thomas and Bryan Roa of California. They range in age from 19 to 32.
They were charged with two conspiracies — conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official. They face up to life in prison.
The indictment said that the conspirators had intended to murder Netanyahu, Trump, US Vice President JD Vance and other “high value targets.”
Alvarez last month sent a message to the group that cited online rumors claiming Netanyahu would attend the event. He then sent messages saying, “Targets confirmed,” and, “1. 2. VP 3. N 4. Musk.”
FBI agents interpreted the message to mean he wanted to target Trump, Vance, Netanyahu and Elon Musk.
The defendants plotted the attack on online forums, including Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok and Instagram.
Suspects in the case had acquired firearms, ammunition, night vision goggles and body armor, trained in shooting and combat tactics, attempted to produce drones with a 3D printer and made travel plans.
At least two quit their jobs ahead of the planned attack, and two had started traveling to Washington, DC.
The conspirators’ ideology appeared related to accelerationism, an extremist, white supremacist belief that violent acts can accelerate societal collapse to make way for a white nationalist state.
The group “believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt,” prosecutors said.
Proper’s mother said Proper had adopted a “Christian-based” and “ultra-religious” ideology.
Federal agents only became aware of the case when Proper’s family reported his concerning behavior to local police.
The case was one in a series of violent, antisemitic, or anti-Israel plots that aimed to foment revolution in the US, from both the far left and far right.
