UFC terror plot suspect is illegal immigrant, DHS says

One of the suspects accused of planning a failed terror attack against the UFC’s Freedom 250 event at the White House over the weekend is an illegal immigrant, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday. Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez is a Mexican citizen who overstayed a B2 visitor visa that expired in 2001, according to DHS. The Obama administration in 2014 granted Alvarez Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, shielding him from deportation.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer for Alvarez, asking law enforcement to hand him over to the agency’s custody, according to DHS. He also faces federal charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House property, according to the Justice Department. Maximum penalties for the crimes include life in prison. He is considered legally innocent of those charges until proven guilty in court.

What role did Alvarez allegedly play in the failed plot? As the alleged ringleader, he is accused of helping plan, organize, and direct the attack via an encrypted chat app alongside four coconspirators. The group allegedly planned to detonate a drone with explosives over the event, then shoot politicians and wealthy attendees as they fled. Alvarez chose sniper and drone locations and was working on assembling drones, the Justice Department said.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report for more details on the thwarted plot.