A 20-year-old man from Chicago has been arrested over allegations tied to a foiled violent plot aimed at a recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House.
Alexander Iniguez Mercado was indicted Thursday in federal court, where prosecutors allege he acted as both a member and administrator of Signal messaging groups used to coordinate a planned attack on the June 14 event, Fox News has learned.
Mercado is among eight defendants from several states who have been charged in connection with the alleged conspiracy.
The indictment says the FBI called Mercado one day before the White House event to question him about threats circulating online.
During that call, a special agent allegedly asked whether Mercado intended to travel to Washington, D.C., to take part in the attack, but he denied having such plans and declined to meet with investigators.
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Prosecutors allege that immediately after speaking with the FBI, Mercado deleted the Signal app from his phone, making key message data inaccessible to authorities.
The Justice Department said Mercado is also facing an obstruction of justice charge stemming from the alleged effort to destroy evidence.
Mercado was arrested Thursday and is expected to make his first appearance in federal court in Chicago today at 3 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
