Federal authorities say they foiled an alleged plan to attack attendees at Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 celebration at the White House using drones and sniper teams.
According to officials who spoke to Fox News, the suspected organizers intended to deploy explosive-laden drones against nearby buildings in an effort to create panic and trigger an evacuation of the event.
Investigators allege the chaos was meant to funnel guests toward a sniper team positioned in advance. Officials said the suspects then planned a “second wave” assault that would have involved rushing the White House gates.
By Monday, five people had been taken into custody in connection with the alleged scheme. Authorities said they have identified 23 people who may have been involved in planning the attack.
The White House gathering drew roughly 4,300 people, among them President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several senior Cabinet officials.
The White House event drew around 4,300 attendees, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and countless other top Cabinet officials.
Just outside of the White House on the National Mall, thousands of people were in the area watching the UFC fights. June is a popular time for tourists to come to Washington, too, and America 250 events have drawn large crowds to the city.
Officials said the FBI was first tipped off to the scary plot on June 10 and worked with law enforcement to find probable cause for an arrest. One suspect was taken into custody in Cincinnati, according to officials.
The FBI and local authorities allegedly thwarted a plot to use explosive drones and sniper teams to target UFC Freedom 250 attendees. The event was attended by Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and countless other top Cabinet officials
One suspect allegedly told authorities the group was targeting ‘capitalist elites’ and ‘billionaires.’ Above, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg huddles with Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
‘Thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,’ FBI Director Kash Patel said of the plot
The plotters allegedly discussed their plans in encrypted Signal chats, which investigators later accessed.
Officials said that at least 23 Signal users were involved in discussing the alleged plan, including operational details on how to carry it out.
Some of those in the chat went so far as to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, around June 12 or June 13 to prepare for the attack. The town is just about an hour’s drive south of Washington.
One suspect allegedly told authorities the group was targeting ‘capitalist elites’ and ‘billionaires.’
Several billionaires were there, including Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, Paramount and CBS boss David Ellison, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and others.
Many in the presidential line of succession were also at the Sunday evening event.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and FBI Director Kash Patel were all there.
Also on the alleged target list were politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to sources.
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Does this alleged plot raise serious security concerns?
Ivanka Trump shared photos from President Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 UFC fight at the White House
Many US officials in the presidential line of succession, including VP JD Vance, above, were in attendance at the UFC fight
Thousands of fans were in the area to watch at the White House and on the National Mall
‘Thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,’ Patel said of the plot.
‘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. That’s exactly what we did here,’ Patel said.
At least 12 FBI field offices were involved in thwarting the plan.
The FBI has been contacted for comment.
