Authorities arrest suspects of planning attack on UFC at the White House
Federal authorities have arrested several people accused of discussing plans to attack the UFC event at the White House, including the use of drones and a sniper, a federal law enforcement official told CNN.
According to the official source, a team made up of Secret Service and FBI agents discovered messages exchanged between several individuals discussing the plan.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrests in a post on
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... pic.twitter.com/PbWkIk1Lr5
- FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 16, 2026
The American federal police source stated that the group discussed in messages the possibility of attaching lethal payloads to drones to cause mass panic, as well as using a sniper to shoot at the crowd.
It is unclear to what extent the group was planning the attack before authorities became aware of the messages.
The charges are expected to be released soon, according to another person familiar with the situation who spoke to CNN. The arrests took place in four federal districts.
The FBI declined to provide additional details. Fox News was the first to report the potential foiled attacks.
Around 100,000 people gathered for the UFC fighting event, held on Sunday as part of the United States' 250th anniversary. The event also coincided with President Donald Trump's 80th birthday.
The event, which took place in an arena built on the South Lawn of the White House, also featured a festival for fans on the Ellipse, the lawn outside.
The Secret Service handled all security on the White House grounds, while the Park Police were the point of contact at the Ellipse, as previously reported by CNN. The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police handled all security outside the Ellipse, including closing several streets.
It took about 19 months of planning and weeks of preparation to realize Trump's vision.
The approximate cost of US$60 million was borne by the UFC, although the federal government was responsible for "first aid/medical services, law enforcement and security", according to Joshua Fisher, director of management and administration at the White House.
Source: CNN