FBI Says It Stopped a Large Plot Against the White House UFC Event

The FBI said it foiled a wide-ranging attack plan aimed at the UFC Freedom 250 event held Sunday at the White House for President Donald Trump’s birthday celebrations. The agency said it first received threat information on June 10, and the case involved people operating outside the Washington area.

According to the FBI, agents worked with other law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Department of Justice in a multi-state operation that led to several arrests and stopped the alleged plot. Sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News that five people were arrested, while investigators identified 23 people as part of a possible network behind the plan.

Investigators said the alleged plan included drone bombs intended to hit buildings near the event, trigger a mass evacuation, and push the crowd toward a pre-positioned sniper team. They also said a “second wave” was planned, in which attackers would storm the White House gate.

The probe expanded after authorities obtained a legal basis to arrest one suspect in Cincinnati, where he was taken into custody. Investigators later found Signal chats discussing the alleged attack, and a preliminary review of one suspect’s iPhone identified at least 23 Signal users allegedly talking about preparation steps. Authorities said some of those involved planned to meet in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13. One suspect allegedly told investigators the target was “capitalist elites,” “billionaires,” or politicians who had received donations from AIPAC. About 4,300 people attended the event, including about 1,200 active-duty troops, and 14 fighters from different countries competed in the arena set up on site.