Fireworks explode over Washington, D.C., during the UFC Freedom 250 fights Sunday on the South Lawn of the White House. Authorities said a plot to spark a more sinister type of explosion was masterminded by a man who entered the country illegally years ago, but was allowed to stay by then-President Barack Obama’s administration. (Jacquelyn Martin – pool / Getty Images)
By Jack Davis June 18, 2026 at 11:55am
The man who allegedly took charge of the plot to attack the White House during the June 14 UFC Freedom 250 event has been identified as an illegal immigrant.
The Department of Homeland Security said Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez of Nebraska had been allowed to stay in the country through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program during the administration of former President Barack Obama, according to a DHS news release.
“This illegal alien from Mexico should never have been allowed in our country. He was the ringleader of a failed terror attack targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House,” acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said.
“He and his co-conspirators now face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds. He will face justice and swiftly be removed from our country,” she said.
The terror plot targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House was allegedly led by an illegal immigrant, according to DHS.
Officials say Mexican national Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez was arrested by the FBI in Omaha on the day of the event before ICE lodged a detainer against him.… pic.twitter.com/PVqn4XPM0h
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 18, 2026
Alvarez entered America on a B2 visitor visa. The visa expired in December 2001, but Alvarez did not return to Mexico.
Should DACA be completely abolished?
The Obama administration granted him DACA status in 2014, the release said.
“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, according to WOWT-TV.
Alvarez was taken into custody after a raid at a former church in Western, Nebraska. Alvarez owned the property
The others arrested were Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio; Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, California; Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California; and Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri.
The suspect behind last weekend’s terror threat at the White House is an ILLEGAL ALIEN.
Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez should never have been in this country, but the Obama-Biden administration rolled out the red carpet for him to stay.
Americans are left asking the same question… https://t.co/DZbKdpqHFy
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) June 18, 2026
A Justice Department news release said that “the FBI identified Alvarez as the individual using the name ‘Shepherd’ in an encrypted chat app that was used to plan an attack on the UFC Freedom 250 event scheduled to be held at the White House on June 14.”
The release said the FBI believed Alvarez “was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the planned attack.”
The FBI said that in discussing the attack, the suspect posted, ‘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.’”
The FBI said that the suspect “also allegedly posted other messages including replying to another member on making drones with explosives, ‘As many and as deadly as we can get;’ that he was working on drones; and had one drone and was working on more.”
The complaint against Alvarez said he called the church a “safe zone” for fellow plotters.
The Justice Department said that the attack plan called for deploying explosive drones to spark an evacuation, at which point snipers would pick off targets.
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Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.
Jack can be reached at jackwritings1@gmail.com.
Location
New York City
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Topics of Expertise
Politics, Foreign Policy, Military & Defense Issues
