A Chicago man has been arrested and charged with obstruction of justice in connection with a planned violent attack targeting an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House earlier this month.
Alexander Iniguez Mercado, 20, of Chicago, allegedly served as an administrator and member of Signal messaging groups where participants communicated about the planned attack on June 14, 2026, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The indictment states that the day before the event, an FBI Special Agent contacted Mercado to discuss online threats related to the UFC event and asked if he planned to travel to Washington, D.C., to assist with the attack. Mercado reportedly denied these plans and subsequently uninstalled the Signal application from his phone, rendering the message data unavailable.
The obstruction of justice charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. Mercado was arrested on Thursday and was scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Chicago today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes. Seven other individuals from multiple states have also been charged as part of this ongoing investigation.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros emphasized the gravity of the offense, stating, “Obstructing justice in a law enforcement investigation into a planned violent domestic attack is a profoundly serious offense.” He added that the investigation involved “serious threats to public safety, including the safety of President Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America, other members of government, as well as the many attendees and athletes who attended the event at the White House.” FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta credited partnerships on the FBI Chicago’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for foiling the attack, while Secret Service Acting Special Agent-in-Charge James Morley highlighted the agency’s dedication to protecting the President and others.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.