The FBI and its law enforcement partners have foiled an alleged terror plot targeting last weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 event held on the South Lawn of the White House, with five people in custody and investigators identifying up to 23 people as part of a suspected network of plotters, officials have revealed.
According to officials, the group planned to deploy explosive-laden drones to strike buildings near the event, deliberately triggering a mass evacuation and funnelling panicked crowds towards a pre-positioned sniper team waiting to open fire on those fleeing. A second wave of attackers was then allegedly planned to storm the White House gate in the chaos that followed.
The FBI first learned of the threat on 10 June — four days before the event, which was staged as part of the America 250 celebrations marking the country’s 250th anniversary and timed to coincide with both Flag Day and Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. Acting on the intelligence, agents and their partners worked to establish probable cause and arrested one suspect in Cincinnati. By Monday, five people were in total custody.
The scale and sophistication of the alleged plot makes it one of the most serious targeting incidents against the White House in recent years. The UFC Freedom 250 event itself drew thousands of spectators, with security prior to the event described by the Secret Service as being at “Super Bowl level.” ABC News reported that the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office had already imposed strict protocols, including TSA-style screening for all those attending the accompanying fan event on the Ellipse, and had warned members of the public to leave drones at home given the prohibition on unmanned aircraft over the National Capital Region.
The alleged plan’s combination of drone attacks, crowd funnelling and sniper positioning points to a coordinated and premeditated operation rather than a lone-wolf threat. The FBI is continuing to investigate the broader network, with 23 individuals identified as potentially connected to the plot, suggesting the five currently in custody may not represent the full scope of those involved.
