Additional Coverage:
- FBI thwarted devastating explosive drone attack at UFC White House event as arrests made (irishstar.com)
The FBI successfully prevented a planned drone attack targeting the White House during the UFC Freedom 250 event this past weekend.
The UFC Freedom 250 took place Sunday night on the White House grounds, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. The event featured the President prominently and included remarks addressing comments made by UFC fighter Josh Hokit about former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Although the event proceeded smoothly, authorities have now revealed that the FBI intercepted a plot involving explosive-laden drones intended to strike buildings near the venue. The conspiracy aimed to trigger a mass evacuation, funneling crowds toward a pre-positioned sniper team. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the scheme, and investigators have identified a total of 23 people involved.
Officials also uncovered plans for a second phase of the attack, which involved storming the White House gate. The FBI reportedly received intelligence about the threat on June 10, just days before the event.
A suspect was apprehended in Cincinnati shortly after the plot was uncovered. Additional suspects were reportedly preparing to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, in mid-June to finalize attack preparations, according to information obtained from encrypted group chats on the messaging app Signal.
One suspect reportedly told investigators the motivation behind the plot was to target “capitalist elites,” billionaires, and politicians who had accepted donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
FBI Director Kash Patel commended the swift coordination between the FBI, the Department of Justice, and law enforcement agencies that led to the prevention of the attack.
“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 stated.
He added, “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.”
Patel concluded by thanking the agents and partners involved and noted that the investigation is ongoing, promising updates as appropriate.