The FBI said five people have been arrested in connection with a plot to target Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House with explosive-laden drones.
The terrorists allegedly planned to hit buildings near the event with explosive drones to force an evacuation that would send the crowd into the sights of a pre-staged sniper team. A second wave of attacks would have then hit the White House gate.
The FBI discovered the threat on Wednesday — four days before the event — FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Law enforcement took five people into custody in California, Missouri and Ohio in the kamikaze drone and sniper plot. Nearly two dozen potential co-conspirators were linked to the scheme that was sniffed out just days before the mixed martial arts showcase on the White House’s South Lawn, the FBI said.
“Thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multistate operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Mr. Patel said in a statement.
More specifics about the plot and motive are expected to be laid out once charges are unsealed later Tuesday.
SEE ALSO: Trump not briefed on plot to attack White House UFC fight
President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and several other Cabinet members, celebrities and active-duty military members attended the historic cagefighting spectacle Sunday, which was also the president’s 80th birthday. Another 85,000 fans gathered on the White House Ellipse for a viewing party.
Investigators learned via Signal chats of multiple suspects planning or discussing attacks on the UFC event. An initial review of one suspect’s iPhone reportedly led to the identification of at least 23 Signal users discussing preparations, including plans by conspirators to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Thursday or Friday, officials told Fox News.
One suspect reportedly told investigators the goal was to target “capitalist elites,” “billionaires” or politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful lobbying group dedicated to strengthening, promoting and expanding the bipartisan alliance between the U.S. and Israel.
The investigation spanned at least 12 FBI field offices outside of the National Capital Region. Federal security was crawling all over the White House complex throughout the weekend, with blocked roads and wraparound fencing to create a hardened perimeter around the event.
Mr. Patel said that as “this work remains ongoing,” the FBI will “continue to update the public as permitted.”
In a statement on social media, Secret Service Director Sean Curran said a team of special agents, mission support personnel and technical security teams “worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.”
“Equally important to our protective mission is ensuring accountability through the justice system,” he said
Mr. Trump, who flew to France to attend the annual Group of Seven summit after the UFC fights, said Wednesday that he had not been briefed about the alleged plot.
“The attack I watched were the fighters,” he joked.
When asked why the president wasn’t briefed about the potential attack, a White House spokesperson referred to an X post by press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“President Trump and the entire administration are grateful to the @FBI, @ SecretService and every heroic member of law enforcement who works tirelessly to keep us safe,” she wrote. “Thanks to their efforts, UFC Freedom 250 will be remembered as one of the greatest sporting events in history.”
It was the latest in a string of threats aimed at Mr. Trump.
In April, a suspected gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with the president in attendance.
The suspect, Cole Thomas Allen, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate the president.
In 2024, Mr. Trump faced two assassination attempts. A gunman opened fire during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing a Trump supporter.
Months later, a man aimed a rifle through bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Mr. Trump was golfing. Secret Service spotted the gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, and arrested him. Routh was convicted of trying to assassinate the president and sentenced to life in prison.
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this report.
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