Washington: The FBI thwarted a plan to attack a UFC operation at the White House. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that it thwarted a planned attack on a United Nations Mixed Martial Arts (UFC) event on the White House lawn last weekend and arrested five suspects. The group planned to use an explosive drone to attack from the north, forcing attendees to flee through exits, after which snipers would open fire on politicians and members of the public. Fox News reported that the group may have numbered up to 23 people.
According to Thai News Agency, the event took place and concluded without incident. President Donald Trump attended the competition on his 80th birthday, along with senior Republican members of Congress, party donors, and many high-ranking government officials, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Meanwhile, President Trump, who is currently attending the G7 summit in France, stated that he had not received any reports about the planned attack.
Court documents indicate that the five defendants harbored anti-government conspiracy theories, partly motivated by dissatisfaction with the handling of investigations into sexual harassment charges against Jeffrey Epstein. Furthermore, one defendant expressed an intention to target politicians who received campaign donations from pro-Israeli groups.
US authorities discovered this malicious plot after the mother of a 19-year-old suspect called local police in Ohio, reporting that her son had purchased several weapons and was in contact with suspicious individuals online. The suspect later confessed to the FBI that he was aware of the well-planned attack on the UFC event.
In terms of prosecution, at least three of the five suspects detained have been charged with conspiracy to commit intentional homicide. The group also faces other charges, including conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States and weapons-related offenses.
Vice President J.D. Vance told Fox News that officials are urgently investigating the underground network that fueled the violence. He noted that it's unlikely that 23 people could have planned such a large-scale terrorist attack in Washington, D.C., without substantial funding and coordination, suggesting it was a systematically planned terrorist plot.