White House UFC terror plot 'ringleader' is a Mexican illegal immigrant, DHS confirms
FIRST ON FOX: Abraham Alvarez, identified in federal documents as the alleged "ringleader" of a plot to carry out a mass casualty event at the UFC White House event on June 14, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who overstayed his visa, according to Homeland Security information first obtained by Fox News Digital.
Alvarez came to the United States as a child and was granted by the Obama administration in 2014 deportation relief through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program after he failed to leave the country when his B2 visa expired in 2001.
Five co-conspirators were arrested so far this month for allegedly planning with others to use drones equipped with explosives to force an evacuation from the White House event on Sunday and, in the ensuing chaos, a team of snipers was allegedly set to open fire on the crowds. Federal investigators claim Alvarez was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack.
Court records ousted Alvarez as a foreign national considering he consented to a consular notification after his arrest this weekend, though the documents provided no information on his specific immigration status nor his country of origin.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer for Alvarez following the FBI's arrest.
Alvarez was arrested by the FBI on the day of the fight in Omaha, Nebraska.
The White House and FBI declined to comment when asked by Fox News Digital about the whereabouts of the other individuals involved in the group chat, with the former directing the inquiry to a DOJ press release.
"This illegal alien from Mexico should never have been allowed in our country," DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement to Fox News Digital on the attack. "He was the ringleader of a failed terror attack targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House."
"He will face justice and swiftly be removed from our country," she added of Alvarez.
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After plans for the initial attack on Sunday, federal authorities claim the plotters planned a "second wave" where they would storm the White House gate. The co-conspirators purportedly sought to jump-start a revolution in the U.S. with the violence, citing grievances such as government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centers using water and the influence of Israel over domestic politics.
Alvarez allegedly used the name "Shepherd" in a group chat dedicated to planning the attack. He was "responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack," according to a DOJ press release.
"As many and as deadly as we can get," Alvarez allegedly responded when asked by a fellow plotter when asked about making drones with explosives. Authorities say that he claimed to have had a working drone.
Investigators have identified 23 individuals who were part of the alleged terror planning network, however; as of publishing, only five arrests have been announced in connection with the plot. It is unclear why the UFC event proceeded with many of those involved in the plot still seemingly at large.
The State Department did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital regarding whether or not it would revoke Alvarez’s DACA immigration status if he is found guilty of involvement in the plot.
If convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, each plotter faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Planning to carry out violence on White House grounds carries an additional maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the alleged plans to attack the White House event were "not that advanced," noting that the plot was relatively undeveloped when it was caught and that none of the suspects "weren’t in town" during the event.
"The FBI, our law enforcement partners and our U.S. Attorneys did what they do every day to make America Safe through quick response and vigilance in investigating, disrupting and dismantling this alleged plan before it could be carried out," Acting Attorney General Todd was quoted as saying in a DOJ press release "We will take immediate and aggressive action to identify and prosecute those who incite and plan acts of violence."
UFC CEO Dana White claimed that multiple threats were made against the White House event, noting that "these are the kind of events that bring the nuts out, this is normal stuff,"
President Donald Trump has faced a string of security threats since he was wounded in an attempted assassination during a July 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
These have included a second assassination attempt at his Florida golf club two months later, an alleged Iran-linked murder-for-hire plot, am armed man rushing the White House Correspondents Dinner and a flood of threats made against his life from disgruntled citizens — all of which underscore the persistent threat environment surrounding Trump’s public appearances.