FBI Arrests Five Suspects in Chilling Plot to Attack Trump's White House UFC Bash with Explosive Drones
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrests of five individuals.
June 16 2026, Published 11:16 a.m. ET
The White House was allegedly targeted in a drone attack plot while President Donald Trump hosted a UFC event on the South Lawn, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Authorities arrested five suspects who allegedly planned to use explosive-laden drones to strike nearby buildings. Investigators say they intended to use the chaos to deploy a sniper team tasked with picking off individuals.
In the final phase of the plot, another group was reportedly prepared to storm the gates.
Kash Patel Reveals Details on Foiled White House Terror Plot
Patel praised the FBI for their work.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who is rumored to be in the president's bad graces, announced the arrests on Tuesday, writing 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."
He further thanked the law enforcement team, claiming the FBI was "built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens." Patel commended his agency's investigative work, adding, "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. "
Secret Service Aids in Investigation
Secret Service Director Sean Curran praised his own team.
According to Fox News Digital, the FBI worked in conjunction with the Secret Service to protect the event, which featured brutal comments from a UFC fighter directed at Michelle Obama.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement, "In the days leading up to this weekend, our special agents, mission support personnel, and technical security teams worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
"Equally important to our protective mission is ensuring accountability through the justice system. To that end, our formal comments regarding the specifics of this case will be made through court filings."
Investigators Uncover Signal Chats With Plans
Trump ordered the arena's construction on the South Lawn.
Individuals arrested included residents of Ohio, Missouri, and California. They reportedly planned to travel to Fredericksburg, V.A., on June 12 or 13 in preparation for the attack.
However, they were intercepted on June 10, starting in Ohio, where the first arrest was made.
Investigators reportedly obtained Signal chats, including messages from at least 23 individuals who allegedly discussed the plot.
Their alleged motive was to target "capitalist elites," "billionaires," or politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a suspect, allegedly confirmed.
JD Vance Reacts to White House Terror Plot
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Vance blamed political fighting and rhetoric for the suspects' alleged plot.
The Freedom 250 event, where Trump reportedly fell asleep, was, in part, of a birthday celebration for 80-year-old Trump, who erected an arena on the White House Lawn. Additionally, it was a part of ongoing programming to celebrate the United States' anniversary.
The event was preceded by a motorbike display on the lawn.
4,300 attendees, including about 1,200 active-duty service members, were allegedly at risk during the event.
On Fox & Friends, Vice President JD Vance said, "This is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence. We got to tell everybody to tone it down."
"Everybody has a role to cut this stuff out. But I think a lot of my Democratic colleagues in Washington have got to look themselves in the mirror and say, why is so much of this political violence coming from our side of the spectrum?"
