The FBI says it arrested five suspects over an alleged plot to attack President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other prominent figures, and court filings indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also named as a possible target. The case involves a foiled plan connected to a UFC event held on Sunday at the White House as part of Trump’s 80th birthday celebrations.
According to court documents, the group discussed using explosive-laden drones, snipers positioned around the site, and a second wave in which armed men would storm the White House gates with live fire. Axios reported that one suspect used coded language in encrypted chats to describe targets investigators believe were likely Trump, Vance, Elon Musk and Netanyahu. Another suspect allegedly identified U.S. senators and members of Congress as potential targets.
CNN reported that the investigation accelerated on June 10 after the mother of a key suspect, 19-year-old Tyson Proffitt, alerted police to his alarming behavior. She said he had bought weapons, contacted accomplices online, searched for locations around Washington and near the White House, scouted sites in advance, talked about hit-and-run missions, and was linked to a group operating on social media and private messaging apps. The arrests were carried out in Ohio, California, Nebraska and Missouri.
Proffitt allegedly admitted he and others planned to attack the U.S. government during the UFC event, entering the Fredericksburg, Virginia, area and launching explosive drones over the venue to trigger mass panic. Investigators say that after the crowd was evacuated, snipers and armed gunmen were supposed to open fire on high-value targets and security forces. The filings say the group embraced an ideology aimed at accelerating the collapse of society and replacing it with a new order, and some members voiced strong antisemitic views and focused on politicians they saw as pro-Israel. Suspect Abraham Alvarez is accused of discussing attacks on Trump, Vance, Netanyahu and Musk, trying to find a drone operator, owning at least one drone and helping seek explosives. Authorities also found planning materials at Proffitt’s home, including maps and photos of the Washington area marked with possible sniper positions and drone launch points. His father told police he had recently spent graduation money on guns, large amounts of ammunition, extra magazines and body armor. Secret Service deputy director Matt Quinn said more suspects remain unidentified, and Trump told reporters at the G7 summit in France that he had not heard about the threat.
