The man accused of being the ringleader of a group planning to attack the UFC Freedom 250 White House event last weekend is an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
Abraham Alvarez, who the Justice Department said was “responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack,” overstayed his visa after being brought into the country as a child. He was first granted deportation relief under former President Barack Obama in 2024, Fox News reported Thursday.
Alvarez came on a B2 visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security. A B2 visa typically is given for tourism or medical reasons and the one issued to Alvarez expired in 2001.
“This illegal alien from Mexico should never have been allowed in our country,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News. “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.
The alleged plot would have involved using explosive drones to cause panic at the UFC event before snipers opened fire. Alavarez has been charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
Alvarez wanted to target President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and trillionaire Elon Musk, according to the criminal complaint from the FBI. Neither Musk nor Netanyahu were at the event.
The FBI said that Alvarez went by the moniker “Shepherd” in a group chat where the attack was planned.
“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,” Shepherd posted on June 10 alongside maps of the D.C. area, according to the FBI.
Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old charged in the attack, allegedly identified “Shepherd” as “the primary individual involved with planning” and “directly stated that Shepherd was the leader of the group and described him as aggressive in tactical planning.”
“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,” said FBI special agent Eugene Kowel on Tuesday.
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