FBI Arrests Two Linked to UFC Freedom 250 Attack Plot
The FBI has apprehended two more individuals tied to the thwarted attack plan on the UFC Freedom 250 event that was scheduled for June 14. The alleged plot involved using drones and firearms to target the patriotic gathering at the White House.
The first suspect, William Lee Spartacus Falkner, was taken into custody last Friday. According to the criminal complaint released on Monday, he is facing charges in the Western District of Washington for conspiracy to commit murder.
Meanwhile, the second suspect, Jordan W. Rincker, was arrested on Sunday in relation to the domestic terrorism scheme and is now charged in the Western District of Missouri with the same conspiracy charge.
Details from the investigation reveal that Rincker was apprehended at his mother’s residence in Missouri. Officials indicated he had planned a drone strike aimed at the UFC event. Evidence suggests he had traded a firearm for cash, a computer, and a 3D printer intended for constructing explosive drones.
The investigation deepened when the parents of Tycen C. Proper reported worrying online purchases made by their son. This led authorities to Falkner through Proper’s online communications.
Falkner, who had skills in both drone manufacturing and piloting, was found to have discussed “loading explosives onto the drones and optimizing their flight for maximum destructive capability” in his online chats.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Rincker took $1,200 in cash from co-conspirator Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez to distribute among others involved. This money was used to fuel Bryan Omar Roa’s trip from California to Washington, D.C., where he was to meet the drone operator for the attack.
Moreover, Rincker reportedly supplied Alvarez with various items: a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a ballistic plate, a face shield, a 3D printer for making drones, filament for 3D printing, night vision goggles, binoculars, a wire checker, and a mini-computer.
In their disrupted scheme, the group of seven planned to unleash a drone strike on one section of the event. This would force attendees to flee to the opposite end, where others equipped with sniper rifles and additional weaponry would target individuals as they exited toward Pennsylvania Avenue.
