Five Arrested As FBI Disrupts Alleged White House Attack Plot

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its law enforcement partners have disrupted an alleged plot targeting a mixed martial arts event held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, arresting five people and identifying a wider network of at least 23 individuals involved in early-stage planning discussions.

The alleged plan involved using explosive-laden drones to strike buildings near the event, force a mass evacuation and steer crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team.

A second wave of attackers was then allegedly planned to storm the White House gates.

The FBI first learned of the threat on 10 June and worked with partners to secure an arrest in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Investigators later uncovered Signal chat messages in which multiple suspects allegedly discussed attacking the event, with an initial review of one suspect’s iPhone identifying at least 23 Signal users discussing pre-operational activity.

Some of those involved allegedly planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on 12 or 13 June to make final preparations.

One suspect allegedly told investigators the goal was to target “capitalist elites,” “billionaires,” or politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a prominent pro-Israel lobbying group in the United States.

The investigation stretched across at least 12 FBI field offices.

FBI Director Kash Patel, in a statement to Fox News Digital, credited the rapid multi-agency response with preventing 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.

He added: “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. I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing, and we will continue to update the public as permitted.”

The event, a high-profile mixed martial arts competition held on the White House South Lawn as part of President Trump’s 80th birthday celebrations and the United States’ 250th independence anniversary, drew an estimated 4,300 attendees, including about 1,200 active-duty service members.

The foiled plot is the latest in a series of alleged threats and security incidents involving President Trump and senior administration officials, raising renewed concerns about political violence targeting high-profile public events in the United States.