Federal Law Enforcement Stops Alleged Attack Plot Ahead of UFC Event
Federal law enforcement broke up an alleged plot to attack the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event at the White House South Lawn.
So far, five men have been charged. Arrests were made in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California. The investigation is ongoing.
The FBI and law enforcement partners became aware of the potential threat on June 10, just four days before the UFC event.
FBI Director Kash Patel hailed cooperation and rapid action noting the 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,” said Director Patel.
Plot Details
According to the charges, the suspects planned to execute a mass casualty event targeting U.S. officials. The group allegedly planned to deploy drones with explosives in and around the event to force an evacuation and then planned to fire on “high value targets” in the crowd.
Law enforcement officials say the suspects communicated in some detail about attack plans, singled out specific officials they wanted to target, and mapped out locations for launching drones and escape routes.
Authorities were reportedly tipped off when the mother of one of those arrested– 19-year-old Tycen Proper of Ohio– contacted law enforcement because she was alarmed by his recent actions, including buying guns “and communicating with certain individuals online.”
Secret Service Response
Meanwhile the Secret Service says it led the investigation from the beginning and called the threat “unique” due to the number of suspects and the depth of planning.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn also said the agency worked to keep the details of the investigation secret.
When asked about FBI Director Patel posting the information on X, Quinn said, “"I'll tell you a phrase I learned early in my career in the New York field office, and that's 'Don't choke on your own smoke.’”
The FBI and Secret Service later released a joint statement saying "The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are proud of our strong working relationship. This investigation highlights that continuous partnership and could not have happened without the great work and coordination between our two agencies.”
