FBI says alleged White House UFC event attack plot was foiled

WASHINGTON: US law enforcement authorities said Tuesday they had disrupted an alleged plan to attack the White House during a mixed martial arts event attended by President Donald Trump and other senior officials.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X that several people had been detained in what he described as a multi-state operation. He credited the FBI, its partners and the Department of Justice for preventing the alleged attacks.

"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’s post also carried a caption referring to a Fox News headline that said the FBI had disrupted an alleged explosive-drone plot targeting the White House UFC event, according to officials. When asked for more details, the FBI told AFP it had nothing beyond Patel’s post to share at this stage.

Event attended by Trump and Vance

Trump attended the White House event on Sunday alongside thousands of spectators. A temporary arena called The Claw had been set up on the South Lawn for the fights. The June 14 event, titled UFC Freedom 250, also coincided with Trump’s 80th birthday and was intended to launch this year’s activities marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.

According to Fox News, citing unnamed US officials, five people were taken into custody and investigators identified 23 people in what it described as a potential network of plotters who were allegedly in contact through a Signal group chat. The alleged plan involved using drones to strike buildings near the White House during the UFC event to trigger a mass evacuation and direct crowds toward a pre-positioned sniper team. There was an alleged plan for a second wave to storm the White House gates.

The White House has extensive security measures in place, including surveillance, fencing, checkpoints, anti-air capabilities, snipers and permanent quick-reaction forces.

Secret Service statement and political reaction

Fox News reported that the FBI learned of the threat on June 10. In a statement on X, the US Secret Service said protective intelligence cases were increasing and that its personnel had worked continuously in the days before the weekend to identify those responsible. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said agents, mission support staff and technical security teams worked around the clock ahead of the event.

Vice President JD Vance, who also attended the UFC event, said in an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday morning that he had only just been informed of the alleged plot. When asked why the FBI had chosen to publicize the matter, Vance said one reason could be the possible scale of the planned attack. He described it as a coordinated planned terrorist plot.

Vance did not offer more information about the identities or motives of the suspects, but he accused Democrats of contributing to political violence through anti-Trump rhetoric. He said "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?"

Trump has faced several assassination attempts in recent years, including an April incident in which a gunman allegedly tried to storm a White House press gala he was attending. The White House has repeatedly blamed Trump critics and the media for rising political tensions, while Trump’s opponents say his rhetoric toward rivals, immigrants and the election system has fueled the atmosphere.