The FBI said yesterday that it thwarted a planned attack on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts event on the White House lawn on the weekend, taking five people into custody, according to court documents.
The plot involved using explosive-laden drones to strike the north side of the White House with the aim of funneling attendees towards an exit where snipers planned to open fire on fleeing politicians and others, the FBI alleged in court papers.
US President Donald Trump attended the event, which was staged without incident on his 80th birthday, along with several senior Republican lawmakers, donors and administration officials to commemorate the 250th anniversary of US independence.
The five people charged appeared to subscribe to anti-government conspiracy theories and were motivated in part by anger at the handling of investigative files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to court documents.
One person charged expressed interest in targeting lawmakers who had received campaign donations from pro-Israel groups, the documents said.
On June 10, the FBI became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event, involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement posted on X.
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