Omaha Man’s Online Activities Mask Alleged Violent Intentions
Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, a 31-year-old from Omaha, utilized TikTok to engage with others about civic responsibilities, such as holding local governments accountable and reducing economic reliance on large corporations through “building a people-owned supply chain.” His public engagement seemed peaceful and centered on reform.
However, private messages from the past year, reviewed by the Flatwater Free Press, reveal a different side of Alvarez. He is now facing federal charges for allegedly planning an attack on the White House and targeting President Donald Trump, among others. These messages indicated a shift towards violence, raising concerns among his online acquaintances.
In one message dated January 24, Alvarez wrote, “We are survivalists. And soldiers 2nd if this wish to be. For that we don’t talk. We act. … But we must have contingency and cunning. We must be resilient. When the fight comes we will know what to do.” Four days later, he mentioned “a lot of big projects in the works,” alluding to undisclosed plans.
Prosecutors claim Alvarez used the encrypted messaging app Signal to identify locations near the White House for sniper positions and drone attacks, aiming to target Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Elon Musk. FBI Special Agent Seena Ali Soheilian stated during a court hearing that the plot had been under development “for about a week.”
Alvarez’s attorney, Stu Dornan, argued in court that Alvarez attempted to cancel the attack days before it was supposed to happen and had not purchased any travel tickets. However, Soheilian countered that Alvarez only sought to delay the attack after the arrest of a co-defendant and issues faced by other alleged co-conspirators.
The motivation behind the plot, according to charging documents, stemmed from antigovernment sentiments regarding issues like government corruption and water consumption by data centers. The FBI tracked Alvarez to his Omaha apartment using his TikTok username, leading to his arrest after a visit to the pool with his wife. Agents discovered a drone, a shotgun, ammunition, and a flamethrower in his residence.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline DeLuca ordered Alvarez to remain in detention, citing him as an “extreme flight risk” and a community threat. Don Kleine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office remarked, “The reason the disaster didn’t happen is because the FBI was able to stop it.”
Those who knew Alvarez, including Ron Bubak, his former junior high basketball coach, are grappling with the shocking developments. “Very surprised,” Bubak stated, reflecting on the drastic transformation of a man with no prior criminal history, once a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
