The FBI thwarted a plot involving explosive-carrying drones and snipers targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House Sunday night, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Patel revealed on Tuesday that the FBI first became aware of the plot on June 10 before arresting five suspects in the lead-up to the UFC event. Officials told Fox News that the plot involved using explosive-laden drones targeting buildings to herd people in front of a group of snipers. An apparent “second wave” would have then targeted the White House, an official said.
“On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region – and 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.
A total of 23 individuals were reportedly investigated over suspected ties to the plot. One suspect was arrested in Cincinnati, Ohio, and others planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the days leading up to the UFC event, the official told Fox News. Plans for the attack were found in Signal chats, investigators said.
One suspect allegedly told officials that he wanted to target “capitalist elites,” “billionaires,” and politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Over 4,000 people showed up to the event, including President Donald Trump, key administration officials, and prominent businessmen like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
“While the result represented the best of 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,” Patel added. “That’s exactly what we did here. I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing and we will continue to update the public as permitted.”
The attack was allegedly planned after a recent surge in Left-wing violence with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, attacks targeting Trump and administration officials, and the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The man accused of starting the Lachman and Palisades fires was reportedly inspired by Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering Thompson.
