The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified the alleged ringleader of a thwarted terrorist plot targeting a UFC event at the White House as Abraham Hermosillo Álvarez, a Mexican national who is in the country unlawfully.
According to a statement posted on DHS’s official X account, Hermosillo Álvarez conceived, organized, and directed the planned attack before his arrest by the FBI in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 14.
Keep Reading: K9 Alerts Agents to Meth Hidden Beneath Vehicle at San Ysidro Port of Entry
Hermosillo Álvarez arrived in the United States as a minor and overstayed his B2 tourist visa after it expired in 2001. In 2014, he was granted deportation relief under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, established during the Obama administration.
Authorities say the plot involved the use of explosive-laden drones at the UFC Freedom 250 event this past Sunday, which was attended by President Donald Trump. In total, five individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the scheme, according to Fox News.
Related: Trump Calls Sheinbaum “A Very Good Woman, But She’s a Very Scared Woman”
The alleged objective was to induce panic, creating an opening for a sniper team to open fire on the crowd.
Following his arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer against Hermosillo Álvarez.
“This illegal alien should NEVER have been allowed in our country — and we will ensure he faces justice and is swiftly removed from our nation,” the statement read.
