On June 14, 2026, a UFC Freedom 250 event was held at the White House Ellipse. A 20‑year‑old from Chicago, Alexander Iniguez Mercado, was arrested for planning a drone and sniper attack on the event.
The plot involved 23 people. Conspirators planned to deploy drones armed with explosives around the event to force an evacuation, then use snipers to target high‑value individuals within the fleeing crowd.
Mercado served as an administrator in a Signal group chat. He was charged with obstruction of justice after deleting the app and destroying evidence. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Two additional arrests were made that week, bringing the total number of suspects to 23. Law enforcement officials said the plot was uncovered after a parent alerted authorities.
A special agent had spoken with Mercado a day before the event. Mercado denied travel plans and then uninstalled the messaging app, removing data that could have been used as evidence.
The threat was discovered around June 10, allowing authorities to disrupt the plan before the historic event. The group expressed anti‑
