A Chicago man has been arrested in connection with the planned violent attack at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House earlier this month.

Alexander Iniguez Mercado, 20, of Chicago, was allegedly an administrator and member of Signal messaging groups that included members who appeared to communicate with others regarding the planning of a violent attack targeting the UFC event at the White House on June 14, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Seven other individuals from multiple states have been charged in connection with the planning of the violent attack. More information about the other defendants charged as part of this investigation is here and here.

According to the indictment against Mercado, the day before the UFC event, a special agent from the FBI spoke with Mercado by telephone. The agent informed Mercado that he was calling to discuss online threats regarding the UFC event, and he asked whether Mercado planned to travel to Washington, D.C., to help with the attack, the indictment states. Mercado allegedly denied those plans and advised the agent that he did not want to meet with the agent. Mercado then uninstalled the Signal application on his phone, which caused the data on his phone relating to those messages to become unavailable, the indictment states.

Mercado is charged with obstruction of justice. If convicted, the maximum penalty is 20 years in prison. Mercado was arrested on Thursday. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Chicago today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes for the Northern District of Illinois.

"Obstructing justice in a law enforcement investigation into a planned violent domestic attack is a profoundly serious offense," said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. "The investigation in this case 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. Any obstructive conduct to interfere with this investigation undermines the integrity of the justice system as well as the rule of law. The Chicago U.S. Attorney's Office will pursue all appropriate charges against those who act to obstruct law enforcement investigations because safeguarding the public depends on the full, unhindered pursuit of the evidence."

"The FBI's most important responsibility of protecting the American people means that our personnel work 24/7/365 to evaluate the ever-changing threat landscape and disrupt acts of violence before they occur," said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI's Chicago Field Office. "Thanks to the partnerships on the FBI Chicago's Joint Terrorism Task Force, to include the relentless work by the U.S. Secret Service, this attack was successfully foiled before any innocent people were gravely injured or killed. While the FBI will continue to use every available resource to hold accountable those who seek to terrorize our community, we urge the public to join us in this effort by immediately calling 9-1-1, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submitting to tips.fbi.gov if they encounter any suspicious or threatening behavior, in-person or online."

"The safety and security of the President of the United States and all those under our protection is the U.S. Secret Service's highest priority," said Acting Special Agent in Charge James Morley of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Chicago Field Office. "We approach this mission with dedication and vigilance in the current heightened threat environment. Successfully carrying out our protective mission is strengthened by strong partnerships. I want to thank the FBI for its steadfast collaboration and the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Illinois for its relentless pursuit of justice."

The FBI and USSS are investigating the case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois is prosecuting the case with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department's National Security Division.

An indictment merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.