- FBI stopped a plot involving explosive drones before the UFC America 250 event in DC
- The event took place on US President Donald Trump's 80th birthday
- A sniper team was reportedly planned to attack fleeing crowds at the venue
Drones armed with explosives, a sniper team and a plan to storm the White House gates. That is what the FBI says it stopped before Sunday's UFC America 250 event, held on the South Lawn as part of President Trump's 80th birthday celebrations.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the development on Tuesday in a post on X. He said, "On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, DC 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 praised the bureau's handling of the case, describing the outcome as representing "the best of investigative work" and adding that it was "nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team."
He went on to say, "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 shared a report from Fox News, which said a group had allegedly intended to use drones carrying explosives to strike buildings near the fight venue, while a sniper team was to target crowds as they tried to flee. The same report said other alleged plotters had then planned to storm the White House gate.
The authorities first learned of the threat after a relative contacted them, worried that a family member had been talking about carrying out something harmful in Washington, DC, CBS News reported.
That tip is said to have led to the arrest of a man from Ohio, alongside the discovery of an informal group allegedly discussing the plot over a Signal chat. Four other people have also been taken into custody as the inquiry continues.
The White House hosted the UFC event on Sunday, which coincided with President Trump's 80th birthday and formed part of celebrations marking the nation's 250th anniversary. Thousands of people gathered to watch the fights on the South Lawn of the White House, with Trump seated in the front row.
This follows a string of recent security incidents near the White House. Last month, a gunman was killed by US Secret Service officers after opening fire at a checkpoint close to the building.
