According to the filing, Proper told investigators that members of a TikTok group called "Vanguard of the Old" began communicating in March before moving discussions to Signal. The group, investigators said, planned to meet in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and travel to Washington, D.C., where drones carrying explosives would detonate over the UFC venue.
“Proper stated that the plan was for members of his group to act as snipers and additional shooters, preferably with long guns, staged at or near the southern evacuation point to conduct shootings of the members of the crowd and HVTs as they fled from the explosive devices which had just been detonated,” FBI Task Force Officer Christopher Betts wrote in the complaint.
Proper allegedly told investigators the goal was to "jump-start" a revolution in the United States.
The investigation began after Proper's family contacted law enforcement about his recent behavior, firearms purchases, and online activity. According to the filings, investigators recovered discussions involving sniper positions, drone launch sites, escape routes, safe houses, and other operational planning materials.
According to Proper’s mother, the group included members who claimed to be ex-military and Christian-based.
“Proper’s mother detailed that talking with these individuals online has caused Proper to lean heavily into his religion, and she believed that those individuals were using religion to manipulate and influence her son,” Betts wrote.
The allegations mark the second high-profile drone-related threat to major events in recent weeks.
Despite these threats, federal officials said the UFC Freedom 250 event itself was never at risk because of the investigation and law enforcement response.
“While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team,” Patel said on X. “We are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens—particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight.”
