Federal authorities say they have foiled an alleged pre-planned attack targeting a UFC event near the White House, taking multiple suspects into custody in connection with what investigators called the "Freedom 250" plot.
Five people were in custody on Monday after law enforcement uncovered an alleged plan involving "explosive-laden drones," directing evacuating fans toward a sniper team, and a third wave storming the White House gate during a large gathering described as the historic UFC 250 fight.
Investigators identified 23 suspects tied to the alleged plot, which first came to the attention of law enforcement on June 10. The FBI, Secret Service, Department of Justice, and other partners carried out a multi-state operation that resulted in multiple individuals being taken into custody and the alleged attacks being stopped.
"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," Sean Curran said, adding, "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."
Kash Patel credited the joint response, saying, "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," and emphasized, "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."
