Southern California Men Arrested in Thwarted White House UFC Terror Plot

CALIMESA, California — Two Southern California men have been arrested as part of a major multi-state FBI investigation into a terrifying anti-government plot to launch a coordinated mass casualty attack at the White House over the weekend. The target of the conspiracy was the high-profile UFC Freedom 250 cage-fighting event, which took place on the White House South Lawn.

According to unsealed federal court documents released by the Department of Justice, 24-year-old Brian Omar Roa of Calimesa and 32-year-old Michael Allen Thomas of Pinyon Hills are among five suspects nationwide facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Federal investigators successfully intercepted and dismantled the plot days before the event was scheduled to take place, avoiding what authorities described as a potentially catastrophic scenario.

The unsealed criminal complaints reveal chilling operational details of the planned attack. Federal agents allege that the conspirators utilized encrypted group chats to organize the logistics. In those messages, Thomas, operating under a pseudonym, explicitly mapped out different operational tiers for the anti-government group, ranging from on-the-ground operators and drone pilots to logistics suppliers. Thomas also allegedly pushed the group to procure weaponry, writing in one chat that 1300 dollars gets us the drones and the charges, and advising that all members should pitch in to acquire the equipment as soon as possible.

Furthermore, investigators discovered that Thomas had discussed meeting face-to-face with Roa in Southern California to conduct advanced marksman training. Documents indicate the group was actively preparing for what Thomas referred to as guerrilla-style warfare against the federal government, driven by extremist fringe ideologies and anti-government sentiments.

The planned assault allegedly involved launching multiple drones packed with explosives over the northern side of the UFC arena. The resulting detonations were intended to trigger a mass evacuation, steering fleeing crowds and high-value targets—including politicians and wealthy donors—directly into the pre-positioned line of fire of rooftop sniper teams.

Federal tactical teams executed search warrants at both suspects' residences, recovering a dangerous cache of weapons and tactical gear. At Roa's Calimesa home, agents seized firearms, extensive ammunition, tactical belts, two-way radios, and an infrared laser target pointer, alongside digital messages detailing the upcoming operation. A simultaneous raid at Thomas's Pinyon Hills home turned up a hunting rifle, an AR-style rifle, multiple 30-round extended magazines, and close to 180 rounds of ammunition.

While Roa admitted to law enforcement that he attempted to drive across the country to Washington, D.C., he claimed he intended only to protest the event and denied active participation in the murder conspiracy. However, federal prosecutors state that the data recovered from the suspects' phones firmly links them to the active planning phases of the thwarted operation.

All five suspects remain in federal custody as the FBI and the Department of Justice continue their expansive multi-state investigation. If convicted of the conspiracy charges, the suspects face the possibility of life imprisonment.

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