The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez as the alleged ringleader behind the foiled terror plot targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, saying he is a Mexican national who overstayed his visa before receiving protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The announcement came days after federal authorities charged five people in connection with the alleged mass-casualty attack plot that was disrupted before the June 14 event.
Here’s what authorities have said about Alvarez and the case so far.
Who is Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez?
According to a DHS press release issued on June 18, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez is a Mexican national who entered the United States on a B2 visitor visa but remained in the country after it expired in December 2001.
The department said Alvarez was granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status by the Obama administration in 2014. DACA is an immigration program that provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to certain undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children and meet eligibility requirements.
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DHS has described Alvarez as the alleged leader of the failed attack plot. The allegations have been made by federal authorities and have not been proven in court.
What are the allegations against him?
According to DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI arrested Alvarez in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 14, the same day UFC Freedom 250 was held at the White House.
Four other suspects were arrested in Ohio, Missouri and California.
Federal prosecutors have charged Alvarez and the four co-defendants with conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds.
DHS said the FBI believes Alvarez, who allegedly used the alias “Shepherd,” planned, organized and directed the operation.
According to the department, investigators allege he outlined the attack in an encrypted group chat, discussing the use of “counter sniper(s) and drones” with the stated objective of being “as deadly as we can get.”
The allegations remain part of an ongoing criminal case, and Alvarez has not been convicted of the charges.
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What has DHS said?
In its statement, DHS said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer against Alvarez.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “This illegal alien from Mexico should never have been allowed in our country. He was the ringleader of a failed terror attack targeting UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.”
She added that Alvarez and his alleged co-conspirators “now face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds” and that he “will face justice and swiftly be removed from our country.”
The criminal case against Alvarez and the four other defendants will proceed in federal court. If convicted, they could face significant prison sentences on the conspiracy charges. According to DHS, ICE has already filed an immigration detainer against Alvarez. Any deportation proceedings would follow the resolution of the criminal case.
