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FBI Disrupts Mass Casualty Terror Plot, SPLC Hit with Explosive Allegations | 6/17/26 FIRST LOOK
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Foreign hey everybody, I'm Dave Rubin and this is First Look. It's Wednesday, June 17, 2026. We've got a packed show for you today. The FBI says it foiled a massive terror plot targeting President Trump's UFC Freedom250 event at the White House. New allegations against the Southern Poverty Law center claim donor money was funneled to a neo Nazi informant who is in a romantic relationship with one of the organization's top officials. Let's dive in. We start with what federal authorities are calling one of the most disturbing domestic terror plots uncovered in recent years. The FBI says it disrupted a multi state operation targeting UFC Freedom250, the high profile event held on the White House South Lawn during President Trump's 81st birthday weekend, according to investigators. The plot wasn't simply an attack on the event itself. Authorities say the plan involved multiple coordinated phases designed to create mass casualties and chaos in the nation's capital. As of Monday, five suspects were in custody and investigators had identified at least 23 individuals involved in a broader network communicating through encrypted signal chats, according to court documents and law enforcement officials. The plan involved explosive laden drones attacking buildings near the UFC event. The goal, investigators say, was to trigger panic and force a mass evacuation. Once crowds began fleeing, authorities alleged participants planned to funnel people toward pre positioned sniper teens. Then came what officials described as a second wave, according to investigators. Some members discussed storming the White House gates amid the confusion. The FBI first learned of the threat on June 10. What ultimately broke the case open wasn't sophisticated surveillance technology, it was a concerned family member, according to court filings. The mother of one suspect became alarmed after noticing large firearm purchases and troubling online communications, former FBI agent Jason Pack said. That's how this got stopped. One of the first arrests occurred in Cincinnati, where authorities took 19 year old Tyson Proper into custody, according to investigators. Proper spent approximately $3,000 in graduation money purchasing large quantities of ammunition, multiple firearms, extra magazines, tactical equipment. Court records indicate his family voluntarily turned over the weapons and equipment to law enforcement. Proper's father reportedly told investigators that his son had quit his job to conduct what he described as missions and recons with people he had met online. Authorities later arrested additional suspects in California, Missouri, Nebraska. One suspect, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez Iris, operated under the online alias Shepherd. Prosecutors claim he served as one of the key organizers of the operation. According to court filings, he used signal chats to coordinate drone deployment locations, sniper positions, escape routes, communications protocols. At one point, prosecutors say he urged participants to acquire as many and as deadly as we can get when discussing explosive capable drones. Another suspect's wife reportedly told investigators that her husband described himself as a recruiter for the group and had spent months accumulating tactical gear, firearms and ammunition. Investigators say signal chat logs showed extensive pre operational planning. Some members discussed traveling to Fredericksburg, Virginia days before the event to conduct final preparations, according to investigators. One suspect described the intended targets as capitalist elites, billionaires, politicians who had received donations from aipac. Officials also confirmed all individuals currently in custody are American citizens. Investigators say no foreign nexus has been identified. The operation ultimately stretched across at least 12 FBI field offices. FBI Director Kash Patel praised the agents and law enforcement partners involved. Patel said multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold. He added that the operation demonstrated exactly what the FBI is supposed to detect threats, respond rapidly and prevent Americans from being killed. Vice President J.D. vance reacted to the revelations Tuesday morning on Fox and Friends. Vance called the allegations very, very dark stuff. Then he made a broader point about political rhetoric, Vance said. This is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence. He added, everybody has a role to cut this stuff out. Now obviously everyone should wait for the legal process to play out. These are allegations. But but if even a fraction of what's described in these charging documents is true, this wasn't somebody posting angry comments online. Now to a story that just keeps getting more astonishing. A new superseding federal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law center is alleging that one of the organization's top officials helped funnel donor money to an informant embedded within a neo Nazi organization. And according to prosecutors, the relationship may have been far more personal than professional. The indictment centers on a figure identified as employee 2. Based on details contained in the filing, multiple reports have identified that individual as former SPLC Intelligence Project Director Heidi Birich. Birich served at the SPLC for two decades and eventually became one of the organization's most prominent anti extremism experts. According to the indictment, however, Byrick was involved in a romantic relationship with an informant known only as Father nine, a source who had infiltrated the white supremacist group National Alliance. The indictment alleges that Byrick and F9 lived together. They shared two joint bank accounts. SPLC donor money ultimately flowed into those accounts. Federal prosecutors claim that between 2015 and 2021, approximately $140,000 in donor funds ended up in accounts jointly held by Byrick and the informant was Prosecutors allege those funds were then used for personal living expenses. But that's only part of the story. According to the indictment, F9 received roughly $1.2 million from the SPLC over a 20 year period. And prosecutors allege that while receiving money from the organization, the informant continued helping national alliance raise funds and promote extremist activities. The broader accusation being made by the Justice Department is extraordinary. Federal officials claim the SPLC wasn't merely monitoring extremist organizations. Instead, prosecutors allege the group actively funded and sustained some of them while simultaneously using their existence to solicit donations. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Cash Patel have both accused the organization of essentially creating a financial incentive structure that that kept extremist groups alive. According to prosecutors, the SPLC has amassed roughly $800 million in assets and donor funds while presenting itself as one of America's leading anti hate organizations. The indictment also revisits a 2014 burglary at national alliance headquarters in West Virginia. Prosecutors allege documents were stolen, copied and eventually used in articles published by the SPLC. According to the filing, another informant was paid approximately $6,000 to take responsibility for the burglary in order to conceal the identity of the original source. Neither Byrick nor the SPLC has publicly responded to the latest allegations. And it's important to note these are accusations contained in a federal indictment. They have not been proven in court. But the allegations continue to paint a picture that is dramatically different from the image the SPLC has cultivated for decades. For years, the organization positioned itself as one of the country's foremost watchdogs against extremism. Now, federal prosecutors are alleging that behind the scenes donor money was being used to support the very networks the organization publicly condemned. If proven, it would represent one of the most significant scandals ever to hit the non profit activist world. And given the amount of money involved, the political implications could be enormous. And that's your first look this Wednesday. Quick recap. The FBI says it disrupted a multi state terror plot targeting President Trump's UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House with five suspects arrested and more than 20 individuals under investigation. And a new federal indictment alleges that donor money from the Southern Poverty Law center was funneled to a neo Nazi informant who was in a romantic relationship with with one of the organization's top officials. We'll keep following all of it. I'm Dave Rubin. Thanks for starting your day with first look. See you tomorrow.