A 20-year-old Chicago man has been arrested and indicted on federal charges in connection with a foiled plot to carry out a violent attack during an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held at the White House on June 14.
Alexander Iniguez Mercado was charged Thursday in federal court for allegedly serving as an administrator and member of Signal messaging groups used to plan the disruption. He is one of eight suspects from various states identified in the conspiracy.
According to the indictment, the FBI contacted Mercado by phone a day before the event to discuss online threats. When a special agent questioned Mercado about his alleged plans to travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in the attack, he reportedly denied any involvement and refused to meet with law enforcement.
Immediately following the call, Mercado allegedly uninstalled the Signal application from his phone, which investigators believe was an attempt to destroy critical message data. Based on this alleged action, Mercado has also been charged with obstruction of justice, according to the Department of Justice.
Mercado was taken into custody on Thursday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Chicago before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.