FBI says it ‘stopped cold’ an alleged plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C.

The FBI and its law enforcement partners say they stopped an alleged plot targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event held on the South Lawn of the White House this past weekend in Washington, D.C. According to officials, the alleged plan involved using drones loaded with explosives to hit nearby buildings, trigger a mass evacuation, and direct fleeing crowds toward a pre-positioned sniper team. A so-called “second wave,” officials said, was allegedly planned to rush the White House gate.

Fox News reports that five people were in custody, and investigators had identified a total of 23 people they believe may have been part of a broader network involved in the alleged plot. The FBI said it first became aware of the threat on June 10 and worked with partners to establish probable cause for an arrest in Cincinnati, where one suspect was taken into custody.

The event targeted by the alleged plotters was UFC Freedom 250, a high-profile fight night held on the South Lawn of the White House as part of President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday weekend. The event reportedly drew an estimated 4,300 attendees, including around 1,200 active-duty service members, with 14 fighters competing that Sunday night.

Five in custody after multi-state FBI operation unfolds

Investigators reportedly uncovered Signal chats in which multiple people allegedly discussed attacking the UFC event. An initial review of one suspect’s iPhone, according to officials, identified at least 23 Signal users who were allegedly discussing what officials described as pre-operational activity. The FBI has been increasingly active in pursuing complex criminal networks, which includes its recent offer of a $10,000 reward for an escaped inmate linked to an $11 million gold coin fraud scheme.

Some of those allegedly involved are said to have planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 to prepare for the attack. One suspect allegedly told investigators the goal was to target what they described as “capitalist elites,” “billionaires,” or politicians who had received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The investigation reportedly stretched across at least 12 FBI field offices. The U.S. Secret Service said it “worked closely” with the FBI throughout the investigation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement that agents and technical security teams “worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable” in the days leading up to the event.

FBI Director Kash Patel credited the FBI, the Department of Justice, and law enforcement partners for moving quickly across multiple states to prevent the alleged 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 said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

The FBI has also recently flagged other threats to public safety, warning that some online job postings may be recruiting spies for China. Patel also said the operation was a demonstration of the FBI’s ability to respond when threats arise. “While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team,” he said.

“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 added that the work remains ongoing and that the public would be updated as permitted.

Vice President JD Vance reacted to the news on FOX & Friends, calling it “very, very dark stuff.” “This is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence,” Vance said. “We got to tell everybody to tone it down.” 

He added, “Everybody has a role to cut this stuff out. But I think a lot of my Democratic colleagues in Washington have got to look themselves in the mirror and say, why is so much of this political violence coming from our side of the spectrum?”

The alleged plot comes amid what officials and reports describe as a growing series of threats and security incidents involving Trump and senior administration officials. The Secret Service said its formal comments on the specifics of the case would be made through court filings, according to Director Curran’s statement.