The alleged mastermind behind the foiled terrorist plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House Sunday, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed Thursday.
Read more LA City Council Advances Measure to Allow Noncitizens to Vote in Local Elections
Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, was arrested by the FBI on Sunday in the small town of Western, Nebraska, and ICE subsequently lodged a detainer against him.
DHS said Alvarez failed to leave the country when his B2 tourist visa expired in 2001 and he was subsequently “granted DACA by the Obama administration.”
“This illegal alien should NEVER have been allowed in our country—and we will ensure he faces justice and is swiftly removed from our nation,” DHS stated on X.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a U.S. immigration policy established by former President Obama (D.) in 2012 by executive order that provided temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to eligible undocumented aliens who arrived in the country as children, commonly referred to as Dreamers.
While President Trump has not formally repealed the executive order, his administration has deported at least 80 DACA recipients and detained over 260. The Trump administration’s active disregard for the program has enraged Democrats.
However, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem explained to Senate Democrats in a letter in February, DACA is “a temporary forbearance from removal within the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security. It comes with no right or entitlement to remain in the United States indefinitely.”
“Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, from Mexico, planned, organized, and directed the planned attack,” DHS said in its statement Thursday.
A multi-state federal investigation was initiated on June 10, when the plot to kill President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other top government officials was discovered.
“Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, from Mexico, planned, organized, and directed the planned attack,” DHS said in its statement Thursday.
The five plotters—Alvarez, Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio; Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, Calif.; Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, Calif.; and Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Mo.—have all been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Read more Harry Potter Taught a Generation to Question Authority. So Why Can’t We Talk About J. K. Rowling?
The group allegedly coordinated pre-operational planning on encrypted Signal chats and TikTok, where Alvarez posted detailed tactical plans, including sniper positions and drone launch points. They were fixated on Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories and had antipathy for Israel and President Trump.
The patriotic UFC event was held on the South Lawn as part of President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday weekend, drawing an estimated 4,300 attendees, including about 1,200 active-duty service members. Another 85,000 people watched the grand spectacle on giant screens at the nearby Ellipse.
The suspects reportedly planned to use explosive-laden drones to strike buildings near the event, trigger a mass evacuation and steer crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team, officials said.
A subsequent “second wave” of attackers allegedly planned to storm the White House gate amidst the chaos.
The Department of Justice said in a press release Tuesday that the FBI had identified Alvarez as the individual using the name “Shepherd” in an encrypted chat app and that he was “responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack.”
Shepherd allegedly posted messages on the app discussing how he was working on operating drones with explosives, “As many and as deadly as we can get.” He provided locations in the area for drone launch points and sniper positions, according to the complaint.
“This is the best action I see. Position your teams in the purple dots (counter sniper and drones) Long range (circled area) (great shot) Easy out into the river,” he allegedly wrote.
Additionally, Shepherd provided a picture and directions for a safe zone at an old church in Nebraska and instructed the other members to take back roads or the river down to the “pick up location.”
“From his home here in Nebraska, Alvarez allegedly directed and recruited others across the country to conduct a horrific attack against government officials in a mass casualty event. Our team worked around the clock to locate and apprehend Alvarez, take him into custody, and collect crucial evidence,” Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha field office said in Tuesday release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Alvarez faces federal charges of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.
Read more Morning Greatness: Iranian Oil Tankers Pass Blockade Line After Ceasefire Deal Announced
