The suspects who attacked the UFC White House are said to have met through a TikTok group chat

The men accused of plotting a mass attack at a UFC event held on the grounds of the White House allegedly met with a TikTok group before transferring their conversations to the encrypted messaging app, where prosecutors say they plotted to kill government officials and other attendees, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Authorities have arrested five men accused of planning a mass attack on UFC Freedom 250, Sunday’s White House event attended by President Donald Trump and other senior government officials.

According to federal court records, members of the group first connected in March through a TikTok community called “Vanguard of the Old,” where participants allegedly teased each other with IDs, workout videos and tactical content before moving on to private Signal chats. The posting does not further explain whether the Vanguard of the Old was an official organization or merely an online discussion community.

The filing identifies five participants arrested in Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska and describes a network that prosecutors say emerged from online chats to plan the operation of an attack aimed at UFC Freedom 250. Investigators suspect the chat members used explosive-laden drones to trigger evacuations before opening fire on politicians and other targets such as crowds.

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While prosecutors say the group has come up with operational plans, other officials, such as Vice President JD Vance, have suggested the conspiracy never progressed to an imminent threat.

“There was a lot of security there,” Vance said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Five.” “And it turned out that the plot was like this, it wasn’t ahead. They weren’t in town.”

Court documents identify an Omaha, Nebraska, man known online as “Shepherd” as the alleged ringleader. Prosecutors say Shepherd helped create a hierarchical organizational structure, directed organizational discussions and linked members across multiple states through encrypted communications.

Once inside those encrypted conversations, prosecutors say members organized themselves into a hierarchical structure that assigned participants specific tasks. Court records describe members of Section 1 as front-line workers who are expected to perform duties and receive firearms and body armor, while other branches include drone operators, getaway drivers, recruiters, transportation workers, technical support and communications lawyers.

Court records often refer to military training and planning.

Tycen Proper, the 19-year-old defendant from Ohio whose phone call helped investigators identify other members of the alleged network, told investigators he believed most of those involved had prior military experience, according to court documents, and his mother said some members identified themselves online as former soldiers. However, the forms do not list any of the defendants as having confirmed military service.

According to investigators, members also split into small discussion groups based on work assignments and locations.

Investigators say the network extended beyond the five men charged. According to court records, Proper’s phone contained a main Signal chat with about 19 participants, as well as active sub-chat groups organized by role and location.

Tycen Proper. (Franklin County Sheriff’s Office)

Tensions arose between government agencies over the decision to make the case public. Two senior U.S. officials told Fox News that Secret Service leadership wants to delay disclosing the investigation until more people are arrested, fearing that publicizing the investigation could alert other subjects and complicate the ongoing investigation.

The disagreement came to light on Tuesday when Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn, responding to questions about the case at an unrelated event, insisted that the Secret Service had “led that investigation from the beginning” and suggested that investigators had deliberately avoided public disclosure while the case remained active.

“In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security system, we chose not to leak it,” said Quinn.

Tycen Proper allegedly found an AR-style rifle and a bullpup painted with an American flag, officials said. (Department of Justice)

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“I’ll tell you a phrase I learned early in my career in the New York field office and that’s don’t depend on your smoke,” he said.

The investigation began June 10 when Proper’s mother contacted local authorities after becoming concerned about his recent behavior, according to court records.

Proper’s father told investigators that his son had allegedly met people online, was planning to “reunite” with them and intended to travel that weekend to meet with gang members. Family members also reported that Proper allegedly bought guns, body armor, ammunition and weapons and quit his job to prepare for what he described as a “mission” and “reconsideration.”

Bryan Omar Roa. (Department of Justice)

Michael Alan Thomas. (Department of Justice)

After investigators obtained a warrant for Proper’s phone, they said they found Signal conversations containing maps of Washington, DC, proposed locations for the hijackers, drone launch sites and discussions about escape routes.

Prosecutors said the members allegedly discussed potential congressional issues, power infrastructure and other political calculations before focusing on UFC Freedom 250.

Proper’s mother told investigators that members of the group allegedly expressed anger over government corruption and the Epstein files.

According to court records, members of the group allegedly believe the United States is headed in the wrong direction and should be “torn down” and rebuilt. Some participants are said to argue that people connected to Jeffrey Epstein should not run the country.

Prosecutors also said the talks increasingly focused on US support for Israel and lawmakers viewed by party members as aligned with Israel’s interests.

According to the requests, members discussed targeting politicians believed to be related to pro-Israel organizations, while other discussions targeted billionaires and what participants described as “capitalist elites.”

Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both of California, allegedly met for a training session in late May, according to text messages obtained by law enforcement and shared in court records.

“Noble and I trained in traffic, cover vs. hide, blocking, and basic tactics today,” Thomas wrote to the team on May 25, according to court records.

FBI Director Kash Patel stands with boxer Alexis Wilkins at the end of the UFC Freedom 250 mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, June 15, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images)

At the beginning of June, according to court records, the discussions in the encrypted conversations of this group had changed to planning the performance around UFC Freedom 250, which took place last Sunday..

Court records show members discussing a meeting place in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where participants from several states were expected to meet before heading to Washington.

Investigators also said the members are suspected of sharing information about safe houses, retreats and escape routes, including going south along the Potomac River.

According to court records, the group’s allegations focused on causing chaos inside the White House event before targeting government officials and others present when they fled.

Prosecutors said the members negotiated using explosives-carrying drones on the north side of the UFC venue, causing panic and forcing the crowd to leave. Investigators suspect members of the group planned to place snipers and shooters on routes that are expected to exit towards the south of the area, where politicians and other targets will be at risk.

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, UFC President Dana White and guests stand in the Octagon during the UFC Freedom 250 fight on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. (Evan Vucci/Reuters)

According to court records, a participant interviewed by the FBI in West Virginia said members of the group allegedly called off the operation on Friday, two days before the event. The reported withdrawal came after authorities had already begun investigating the group following a June 10 call from Proper’s mother.

Authorities arrested the suspects in Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska on Saturday and Sunday after executing a series of search warrants related to the investigation.

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“They haven’t been very good at planning,” Vance said. “So, I get why people are obsessed with it. I think the political violence and rhetoric in this country is out of control. But thank God we have good law enforcement. We have a good FBI because they didn’t even come close to killing him.”

David Spunt of Fox News contributed to this report.