---
title: "Eight Indicted Over an Alleged Plot to Attack a UFC Event at the White House"
description: "A federal grand jury in Ohio has indicted eight men over an alleged plot to attack a UFC fight night at the White House in June with explosive-laden drones and gunfire, prosecutors said. The defendants are charged with terrorism and murder conspiracy counts, and are presumed innocent; the allegations have not been tested in court."
category: "World"
category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/world
author: "Noah Andersen"
published: 2026-07-10T01:42:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-10T01:42:00.000Z
canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/eight-indicted-over-an-alleged-plot-to-attack-a-ufc-event-at-the-white-house
tags: ["united-states", "terrorism", "justice", "security", "ufc"]
---
# Eight Indicted Over an Alleged Plot to Attack a UFC Event at the White House

A federal grand jury in Ohio has indicted eight men over an alleged plot to attack a UFC fight night at the White House in June with explosive-laden drones and gunfire, prosecutors said. The defendants are charged with terrorism and murder conspiracy counts, and are presumed innocent; the allegations have not been tested in court.

A federal grand jury has indicted eight men over an alleged plot to attack a mixed martial arts event at the White House in June, prosecutors said, in a case that authorities describe as a coordinated scheme foiled days before it was to be carried out. The defendants face terrorism and murder conspiracy charges. They are presumed innocent, and the allegations against them have not been tested in court.

## What prosecutors allege

According to charging documents, the group planned to fly explosive-laden drones into a UFC fight night scheduled at the White House and then open fire on people as they fled, [ESPN reported](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/49319047/eight-indicted-thwarted-attack-ufc-white-house-event). Prosecutors say the alleged conspiracy took shape from around May, with the men accused of gathering money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical supplies and communications equipment.

Prosecutors also allege the plot targeted senior figures expected to attend, among them President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the businessman Elon Musk, [PBS News reported](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/8-men-indicted-on-conspiracy-charges-over-planned-attack-on-white-house-ufc-event). Justice Department officials said the accused held fringe conspiracy beliefs and hoped an attack would destabilize the government. These remain allegations that the defendants have the right to contest.

## The arrests and charges

Law enforcement learned of the alleged threat on June 10, four days before the event was due to take place, an advance warning that authorities say allowed them to stop it. Five defendants were arrested around the weekend of the planned event, in states including Missouri, Nebraska and California, and two more roughly a week later. Two of the men named in the documents are Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, and Chandler D. Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, whom prosecutors accuse of being assigned as a sniper.

The grand jury, sitting in Columbus, Ohio, returned the indictment on Thursday. The men are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years, and with conspiracy to commit murder on federal property and to kill federal officials, counts that can carry life imprisonment. The Justice Department and the FBI led the investigation.

## Where the case stands

For now, the charges are allegations, and the defendants are entitled to a trial and to challenge the evidence against them. An indictment sets out what prosecutors say they can prove; it is not a finding of guilt. The case is likely to move slowly through the federal courts, and the coming stages, including any pleas and the disclosure of evidence, will test how much of the alleged plot the government can substantiate. What is established so far is the fact of the charges and the seriousness with which prosecutors have framed them.

## Sources

- [Eight indicted in thwarted attack on UFC's White House event](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/49319047/eight-indicted-thwarted-attack-ufc-white-house-event)
- [8 men indicted over planned drone and sniper attack on White House UFC event](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/8-men-indicted-on-conspiracy-charges-over-planned-attack-on-white-house-ufc-event)