The FBI announced it had foiled plots to attack the UFC event held at the White House on June 13 and confirmed that multiple individuals are in custody. FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency first detected the threat on June 10, ahead of the mixed martial arts event on the White House South Lawn celebrating President Donald Trump's birthday and marking the 250th anniversary of Independence Day.
“Thanks to the swift action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a federal operation, numerous individuals are now in custody and planned attacks have been stopped,” Patel wrote on social media platform X.
While the FBI did not disclose the nature of the threat, Fox News Digital reported that the plot involved using explosive-laden drones to attack buildings near the event. According to the report, 23 people were linked to the scheme, which included a “second wave” plan to storm the White House gates during the event.
Fox News, citing Signal app conversations gathered by law enforcement, reported that some suspects had planned to travel to Virginia on June 12-13 to prepare for the attack. The U.S. Secret Service “worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable,” Director Sean Curran said.
According to the Associated Press, five individuals were arrested from the states of Ohio, Missouri, and California. Vice President JD Vance suggested the administration is examining underground networks that may have fueled the violence. “Twenty-three people don't get to the point of preparing to carry out a large-scale terrorist attack in Washington, D.C., without serious funding and close coordination,” Vance said in a Fox News interview. “This wasn't a few crazy people doing crazy things; this was an organized, planned terrorist plot.”
President Trump, attending the G7 Summit in Evian, France, said he was unaware of the attack plot.
