by John Solomon
The FBI stopped a terror plot involving as many as two dozen perpetrators to attack Sunday’s UFC 250 fight at the White House with explosive-laden drones and snipers, officials told Just the News on Tuesday.
At least five people have been arrested, and agents are working to identify as many as 18 others who appeared to be involved in the planning on encrypted chats communicating with the alleged plotters, officials said.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrests, first reported by Fox News, in a statement obtained by Just the News.
“On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region – and 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.
“While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team – 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,” he added.
A dozen FBI offices around the country were involved in the investigation, and one of the first arrests occurred in Cincinnati, officials said.
Officials said they believed the goal of the plot was to attack the site of the fight on the White House South Lawn with one or more explosive-laden drones, causing panicked fans to flee into areas where snipers would then shoot them.
Officials said more details would likely emerge when indictments are filed in court against some of the perpetrators in the coming days.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media that “President Trump and the entire Administration are grateful” to the FBI, the Secret Service, and law enforcement who work “tirelessly to keep us safe.”
“Thanks to their efforts, UFC Freedom 250 will be remembered as one of the greatest sporting events in history,” she added.
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John Solomon is an award-winning investigative journalist, author and digital media entrepreneur who serves as Chief Executive Officer and Editor in Chief of Just the News. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
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