Federal authorities said Tuesday they disrupted an alleged terrorist plot targeting the high-profile UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House South Lawn over the weekend. Agents learned of the threat on June 10, four days before the event attended by President Donald Trump during celebrations tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
According to unsealed court documents, a group of individuals planned to use small, explosive-laden drones and a coordinated sniper team to target prominent political figures, corporate executives, and spectators during the Sunday mixed martial arts showcase. Five men from California, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, alongside various firearms offenses.
Text messages were intercepted by investigators from encrypted communication applications detailed an intricate, multi-tiered assault strategy. According to federal affidavits, the conspirators intended to launch a “demonstration” on the north side of the executive mansion before detonating drones “laden with unspecified explosive devices which would detonate over the north side of the UFC arena,” forcing the crowd into a chaotic evacuation. The plotters allegedly intended to have group members “act as snipers and additional shooters,” targeting high-profile attendees as they fled the explosions, with a subsequent “second wave” designed to breach security checkpoints. Officials said encrypted Signal chats linked at least 23 people to planning activity, with some suspects traveling to Virginia shortly before the event.
The FBI, Department of Justice and Secret Service launched a multi-state operation that resulted in arrests in Ohio, Missouri and California. FBI Director Kash Patel said that while the rapid intervention showcased elite investigative work, “it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team – we are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens – particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight.”
The mixed martial arts event proceeded under heavy federal security coordination, utilizing restricted airspaces, fortified street perimeters, and specialized anti-drone monitoring systems. President Trump, speaking to reporters from the G7 summit in France, noted he had not yet been formally briefed on the investigation, while Secret Service Director Sean Curran confirmed that his agency “worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable” alongside the Department of Justice.
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