FBI foiled ‘plot to attack UFC White House event with drones and have snipers shoot crowd as they tried to flee’

The FBI and its law enforcement partners foiled an alleged terrorist plot targeting last weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C., according to officials.

As of Monday, five people were detained and investigators identified 23 people as part of a potential network of conspirators.

The group planned to use explosive-laden drones to attack buildings near the event, triggering a mass evacuation, then direct the panicked crowd toward a pre-positioned sniper team, authorities said.

According to officials, a ‘second wave’ was allegedly planned to attack the White House gate.

The FBI first learned of the threat on June 10 and worked with partners to gather enough evidence to make an arrest in Cincinnati, where a suspect was taken into custody.

Investigators later uncovered a series of Signal chats in which members of the alleged network discussed plans to attack the UFC event.

In the first search made on a suspect’s iPhone, it was claimed that at least 23 Signal users were discussing preparations for the operation.

It was claimed that some of the suspects planned to go to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 and 13 to make final preparations before the attack.

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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.

The expanding investigation involved at least 12 FBI field offices across the United States.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the FBI, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and law enforcement partners acted quickly across multiple states to prevent the alleged attack.

“Thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and the alleged attacks have allegedly been stopped,” Patel said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Patel said the operation demonstrated the FBI’s ability to respond quickly when threats arise.

“While the outcome represented the best of investigative work, it was also not out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team,” Patel said.

We were built to detect, intervene, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens, especially during major gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight. That’s exactly what we did here.’

“I want to thank our great agencies and partners, this work is ongoing and we will continue to keep the public informed as permitted,” Patel added.

The alleged plot targeted UFC Freedom 250, a high-profile White House event held on the South Lawn as part of Donald Trump’s 80th birthday weekend.

The event hosted about 4,300 participants, including nearly 1,200 active-duty soldiers, with 14 fighters from around the world competing inside a wire-mesh cage on Sunday night.

This is breaking news, more will follow.