A coordinated terror plot targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House on Sunday, June 14 has exposed a sprawling network of extremists connected across multiple states — and two Southern California men sit at the center of the federal investigation.
The scheme, according to court documents released by the Department of Justice, was methodical and lethal in design. Roughly 20 participants coordinated using encrypted messaging apps Signal and Simple X to plan drone strikes carrying explosives over the venue, followed by coordinated gunfire into the resulting panicked crowd. Federal agents discovered maps, target lists, and detailed tactical instructions spread across encrypted channels linking conspirators from coast to coast.
Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from Southern California, have emerged as key figures in the plot. FBI agents searching their properties recovered AR-style rifles, ammunition, extended magazines, a pistol, and a hunting rifle. Thomas allegedly admitted to investigators that he was actively planning the attack and recruiting additional participants. Roa has denied involvement in the conspiracy but acknowledged planning to drive to Washington, D.C., to protest the event — a detail that raises questions about the distinction law enforcement is making between protest and participation.
The investigation unraveled through a mother’s decision to call police. On June 10, a woman identified in court records as D.P. contacted Ohio authorities about her 19-year-old son, Tycen Proper, who had amassed an arsenal of weapons and ballistic plates. When questioned, Proper confessed to planning a coordinated attack and named both Roa and Thomas as co-conspirators. His journal contained approximately 46 names of alleged targets, including Senators Marsha Blackburn, Jim Justice, and Shelley Moore Capito, along with U.S. Representatives Carol Miller and Riley Moore.
What’s particularly striking about this network is its ideological blend. Members recruited Proper through a TikTok group, exploiting his religious faith while layering in anti-government grievances, conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged connections to government officials, and environmental concerns about data centers consuming community water supplies. The group framed their vision as a necessary national reset — tearing down the existing system to rebuild it from scratch. It’s a reminder that radicalization doesn’t follow a single script; it borrows from multiple grievances and platforms, weaponizing legitimate concerns alongside conspiracy and extremism.
The court docket for Roa and Thomas remains sealed in the Central District of California, meaning the full scope of their involvement and the charges they face have not been publicly detailed. Their case highlights how quickly encrypted networks and social media platforms can connect isolated individuals into operational cells, and how law enforcement’s ability to intervene often depends on someone from the inside choosing to reach out.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
