The FBI thwarted a plot targeting a Ultimate Fighting Championship event held Sunday on the South Lawn of the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday, with multiple suspects in custody following what he described as a “multi-state operation.”
“Allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Patel said in a social media post. The event, UFC Freedom 250, was part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration and coincided with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. Some members of Trump’s administration and various celebrities attended the matches.
Two sources told the BBC’s U.S. news partner CBS News that the alleged plot involved using explosive-laden drone aircraft to strike nearby buildings. The plotters aimed to spark panic and draw the fleeing crowd toward a sniper team, the sources told CBS. A “second wave” of attackers would have then allegedly planned to storm the White House gate, according to the sources.
CBS also reported that a suspect was taken into custody in Cincinnati last week and that investigators obtained access to Signal chats in which multiple people allegedly discussed the plan.
Patel’s statement on X did not confirm those specific details, though he posted a link to a Fox News report that included them.
“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,” Patel said in his post.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement that his agency worked “closely with the FBI throughout this investigation” and that their “formal comments regarding the specifics of this case will be made available in court filings.”
The BBC has requested further comment from the FBI.