FBI foils 'plot to attack White House UFC event with explosive drones' as five arrested

FBI foils 'plot to attack White House UFC event with explosive drones' as five arrested Five people have been arrested with 23 people identified as part of a network of conspirators involved in an alleged plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington DC The FBI says it has thwarted an alleged plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington DC. Five people were arrested with 23 people identified as part of a potential network of conspirators, the Bureau said. The plan allegedly involved utilising drones laden with explosives to strike buildings near the event on Sunday, instigate a mass evacuation and direct crowds towards a pre-arranged sniper team, officials revealed. A "second wave" was then allegedly planned to storm the White House gate, according to officials. FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X: "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. "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. "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. We continue to encourage any American to report anything suspicious at 1-800-CALL-FBI or http://tips.fbi.gov.” This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link . You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage .