Newly unsealed court documents reveal Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn was named as a possible target by a group accused of plotting a drone-and-shooter attack during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn on Sunday. Blackburn attended the exclusive event with her grandson as her guest.
Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old Ohio man, is among five charged who have been charged so far. Prosecutors say the group planned to use explosive-laden drones to create chaos before shooters targeted “high-value targets” during evacuation.
The alleged mastermind of the foiled plot targeting the event at the White House is Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, a 31-year-old Mexican national living in the United States without legal status.
Alvarez is in the country illegally. He originally overstayed a B2 visitor visa in 2001 and was later granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status in 2014. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer against him.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Alvarez directed a group using an encrypted chat app. The conspirators allegedly planned to use drones loaded with explosives to force an evacuation, followed by teams of snipers to fire upon “high-value targets” within the fleeing crowd.
Blackburn was reportedly among those targeted specifically because of the large donations she has received from AIPAC. Federal investigators state the suspects targeted her and other lawmakers because of their political support for Israel and their receipt of donations from pro-Israel PACs, including AIPAC. According to an FBI affidavit, suspect Proper and his group shared images of lawmakers from the site TrackAIPAC.com to identify politicians with ties to pro-Israel groups, listing Blackburn among their intended targets.
Blackburn is saying the threat won’t slow her down. “I will not let maniacs like this one deter me from celebrating or serving this great nation,” she has said.
ARE BLACKBURN AND JACOBS OPPOSING GOP NOMINEE IN PUTNAM COUNTY? Why are “Republicans” Marsha Blackburn and Glenn Jacobs, her campaign Treasurer, showing support for INDEPENDENT candidate Darrin Stout in his campaign against four-term GOP Sheriff Eddie Farris in Putnam County? The General Election for Sheriff is on August 6. Shouldn’t they be supporting the extremely popular Republican nominee? Does this put their Republican bona fide status at risk?
The Democrats in Putnam County, are not even running a candidate for sheriff. However, they have been recommending that Democrats vote for Stout in numerous Facebook posts in which they urge support for their slate of other Democrat local candidates in the August general election and primary.
Farris has held huge political rallies in Cookeville and Baxter in the last few weeks, with over 2000 voters in attendance supporting his reelection. He has several more big events scheduled over the next few weeks. His support for his long time friend John Rose has clearly tweaked Marsha and her consultant Ward Baker.
But this kind of petty politics won’t help her as a candidate, nor as Governor if she wins. If her polls actually show her winning by the margin they claim, why is her team engaging is such childish, petulant and seemingly vindictive tactics?
Steve Gill is editor and Publisher of TriStar Daily.
