Eight individuals are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder and terrorism after allegedly plotting—according to the indictment—to carry out an attack using drones and firearms to assassinate Donald Trump during a UFC event held on the White House grounds in June.

The indictment, filed before a federal grand jury in the state of Ohio, charges the suspects with two separate offenses: providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to commit murder on U.S. government property, including the murder of a government official.

Court documents do not make clear how close the alleged conspirators came to carrying out their plan before it was foiled. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed last month that the conspiracy had been dismantled, while at least five people were taken into custody and another 23 were identified as members of a potential support network.

The Assassination Plot Included “Explosives, Drones, and Body Armor”

The documents accuse eight men, aged between 19 and 32, of participating in the alleged plot to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, as well as “other high-value targets” during the “UFC Freedom 250” event on June 14.

The co-conspirators are named as:

• Abraham Alvarez
• Daniel Eskridge
• William Faulkner
• Tycen Proper
• Jordan Rinker
• Bryan Roa
• Chandler Skaggs
• Michael Thomas

According to the indictment, the group began developing the plan in May by acquiring money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical supplies, communication devices, and other equipment.

Using online platforms and social media applications such as Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok, and Instagram, the eight defendants allegedly created a “tiered” system to classify participants according to their intended roles in the conspiracy.

Those assigned to the “first tier” were expected “to expose themselves to danger, break the law, and potentially go into hiding.” The indictment also states that the group agreed to kill any U.S. government employee working at the UFC event.

The members also agreed to travel from Nebraska, Missouri, Washington, Ohio, West Virginia, and California to the White House, and according to the indictment, they had also identified an escape plan following the attack.

Specifically, Roa and Thomas are accused of undergoing firearms and combat training in California in May. Prosecutors allege that Eskridge kept notes on his cellphone describing the tier system and containing personal details about each participant, while Faulkner contacted at least one individual on Instagram seeking to pay for the 3D printing of drone frames.

The documents state that Roa began driving from California to Washington on June 11 but encountered car trouble the following day. On June 12, Alvarez met Rinker in Omaha, Nebraska, to deliver a 3D printer. In exchange, Alvarez allegedly received a bulletproof vest, night-vision goggles, a protective face shield, a shotgun, and an ammunition belt.

How Police Prevented the Attack

The latest court filings were submitted after the U.S. Department of Justice announced last month a series of criminal prosecutions across several federal districts related to the conspiracy.

Police first learned of the possible threat against Donald Trump and the UFC event on June 10, four days before the scheduled fights.

An earlier court filing submitted on June 15 showed that police were initially called to a home in Knox County, northeast of Columbus, Ohio, by Proper’s mother. She was concerned because her son had been communicating online with unknown individuals and had recently purchased firearms.

Proper’s father reportedly told police that the 19-year-old was planning reconnaissance missions and “hit-and-run” operations, and had spent at least $3,000 on camping equipment, food, body armor, and “large quantities of ammunition.”

Authorities said the group embraced left-wing fringe conspiracy theories and hoped the attack would destabilize the U.S. government. Proper’s mother told investigators that her son had been speaking with individuals claiming to be Christians and former military personnel.

“They expressed extreme religious and anti-government views, specifically citing grievances about government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centers consuming local communities’ water supplies, and other government actions,” the court document states.

Proper later told investigators that the group communicated through a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old.” He then gave police the names of Roa and Thomas, whose homes were raided by the FBI on June 13.

According to a federal affidavit, one of the defendants later told investigators that the group planned to fly drones loaded with explosives into the event venue and then open fire on the panicked crowd attempting to flee.

Trump ultimately attended the UFC event, which took place without incident on the day of the president’s 80th birthday, alongside several other Republican politicians. Netanyahu did not attend.

Five Suspects Initially Arrested

Proper and four others were arrested and charged in Missouri, Nebraska, and California during the weekend of the event. Two additional suspects were arrested by the FBI one week later in Washington and Missouri.

The Department of Justice announced that 21-year-old Skaggs became the eighth person charged this week after being arrested in West Virginia. Prosecutors allege that he had been assigned the role of sniper in the planned attack. Skaggs’ attorney said his office is thoroughly reviewing the charges and declined further comment.

Conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment, while conspiracy to commit murder is punishable by up to life imprisonment.