Who Are Michael Thomas and Bryan Roa? Suspects FBI Says Mapped Sniper Positions at Trump's White House UFC Event

Michael Alan Thomas and Bryan Omar Roa, both residents of Riverside County in California, have been identified as two of five suspects arrested following an alleged plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event held on the South Lawn of the White House on 15 June 2026. Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and made their initial court appearances on Monday in Riverside.

The five men arrested also include Ohio resident Tycen Proper, Missouri resident Daniel Eskridge, and a fifth suspect, after the FBI disrupted what officials described as a multiphase attack targeting the event. The historic occasion was part of President Donald Trump's 80th birthday weekend celebrations and drew thousands of spectators, including Cabinet officials and business leaders.

The Alleged Ringleader

Thomas was among the suspected leaders of the operation and described himself in communications as the group's 'planner and advisor.' Investigators recovered screenshots from Signal group chats allegedly showing the group had mapped sniper positions at the White House event and drawn up plans for a coordinated attack on the crowd, according to court documents.

Thomas allegedly told investigators he believed the US government was controlled by elites who 'sacrifice and eat children,' had ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and were being protected by President Trump, according to court documents. Authorities say he also expressed anti-Jewish views, allegedly blaming Jewish people and Israel for corruption in the US government and for the war with Iran, and alleged that AIPAC donors and so-called 'capitalist elites' were targets of the group, according to the arrest affidavit.

Roa and Thomas were brought to the attention of the FBI by their Ohio co-conspirator Tycen Proper, who identified them through their social media accounts during his interview with investigators on 11 June. Law enforcement subsequently reviewed Roa's Instagram Stories, which contained photographs of him conducting firearms and tactical training in a remote area with another individual. Authorities have not publicly detailed Roa's specific role in the alleged plot beyond his arrest and the tactical training material recovered from his social media.

How a Mother's Phone Call Exposed the Alleged Plot

FBI task force officer Christopher Betts said in court documents that Proper's mother called police in Ohio last Wednesday to express concerns about her son due to 'recent conduct,' including firearms purchases and communications with 'random' individuals online.

Proper was interviewed by the FBI on 11 June 2026, after his parents contacted local law enforcement. What began as a local welfare call soon expanded dramatically. The investigation grew into a multi-state terrorism probe involving at least 12 FBI field offices.

According to a criminal complaint, Proper allegedly spent $3,000 (£2,230) of his 'graduation money' to purchase 'lots of' ammunition, guns, extra magazines and other items for the alleged attack, with authorities estimating that several boxes of ammunition contained thousands of rounds.

Drones, Snipers, and a White House Gate Rush: The Alleged Three-Phase Plan

The alleged plan called for drones to be used to create panic and direct fleeing crowds toward an area where snipers were allegedly posted. A second phase allegedly called for storming the White House gates. All those in custody are American citizens, and investigators do not believe there is a foreign connection to the case.

FBI Director Kash Patel credited swift cross-agency action for stopping the alleged plot before it could be carried out. 'Thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,' Patel said in a statement.

The alleged plot represents one of the most elaborate publicly known threats against a sitting US president in recent years. A string of acts of political violence and attempted attacks have rocked the country in recent years, including an incident in April when a man allegedly armed with guns and knives ran through a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The scale of the alleged UFC plot — spanning multiple states, involving at least 12 FBI field offices, and targeting a crowd of thousands — signals a growing concern among law enforcement over coordinated domestic threats to high-profile public events.