FBI Director Kash Patel said that “multiple individuals are now in custody after the bureau and other law enforcement stopped a plot to attack the UFC event at the White House.
Patel posted on X, “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 linked to a story on Fox News.com, which reported that the plot “involved using explosive-laden drones to hit buildings near the event, force a mass evacuation and steer crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team.” Then, a second wave would storm the White House gate, according to the report.
Fox News reported that five people were in custody on Monday, with 23 people allegedly part of the plot.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said that in “the days leading up to this weekend, our special agents, mission support personnel, and technical security teams worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.” He said that further information would be released in court filings.
Per Fox News, the planned attack was discussed via a Signal chat. The plan was to travel to Fredericksburg, VA to prepare.
At the event, there was heavy security around the White House, where more than 4,000 attended on the South Lawn, and a companion viewing party at the Ellipse. Authorities installed multiple checkpoints and closed off streets blocks from the White House.
Patel wrote on X, “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. 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.”
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