Five people detained for alleged planned attacks at UFC event

FBI director Kash Patel says multiple people have been arrested for allegedly plotting attacks at Sunday's UFC White House event.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: A general view during the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest at The Ellipse on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Zuffa LLC) UFC White House might have avoided more than just a little bad weather. On Tuesday, Fox News reported that FBI officials disrupted an alleged terrorist plot that involved explosive drones and snipers with the target being attendees of this past Sunday’s UFC event, which took place on the South Lawn of the White House, with President Donald Trump and numerous officials and VIPs watching, as well as at the nearby Ellipse Park, where nearly 80,000 fans were expected to be in attendance. Watch the Fox News segment below. BREAKING: The FBI says it foiled an alleged terror plot targeting Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn. Five suspects are in custody after authorities say they planned a coordinated attack involving explosive-filled drones aimed at buildings near the… pic.twitter.com/kvwoBnxuGb — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 16, 2026 According to the report, the alleged plot would have seen explosive-laden drones strike buildings at the event with the intention to force an emergency evacuation. People would then be steered towards an area where they could be shot at by snipers. A “second wave” would then directly attack the White House gates. UFC White House took place June 14, and the potential threat was reportedly first discovered by the FBI on June 10, with the alleged suspects gathering for final preparations in Fredericksburg, Va. One suspect was taken into custody in Cincinnati and, as of Monday, five suspects are in custody with investigators identifying 23 people as being involved in the plot. “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,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement to Fox News. “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.” Ahead of Sunday’s event, which was first announced in June 2025, much of the talk revolved around how UFC CEO Dana White and his team would deal with the numerous logistical issues involved with putting on a show at the White House, with security being a chief concern. Weather was also a major topic of discussion, though the event proceeded with only a delay to the start time despite inclement weather in the surrounding areas. FBI Director Kash Patel praised his team for preventing the alleged plot. “While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team,” Patel said. “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 [Freedom] 250 fight. That’s exactly what we did here.” At the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Tuesday, Trump was asked about the FBI stopping the alleged plot and he replied that he wasn’t aware. “I haven’t heard about it,” Trump said. “The attack that I watched were the fighters. … They were as good a fights as I’ve ever seen, the best. That last fight was brutal and the two last—all of the fights were good. It was all good, it was a great evening, it was very different for the White House.” Q: Were you briefed on the attack plans for the UFC event at the White House? TRUMP: … Q: The FBI thwarted an attack TRUMP: I haven't heard about it, no. The attack I watched were the fighters. pic.twitter.com/HkCoRXPhUK — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2026 In the main event of Sunday’s card, Justin Gaethje scored a dramatic fourth-round knockout over Ilia Topuria to unify the UFC lightweight titles, while Ciryl Gane became interim heavyweight champion a second time with a knockout over former two-division champion Alex Pereira.

FBI director Kash Patel said multiple people are in custody for their roles tied to a plot against UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.

Details of potential threat were not immediately disclosed, after event was held on Donald Trump’s 80th birthday Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Law enforcement officials disrupted “planned attacks” meant to target the UFC cage fighting show staged at the White House this past weekend, and multiple people were in custody, said Kash Patel, the FBI director. The nature of the potential threat was not immediately disclosed, with additional details expected to be released once charges are unsealed later Tuesday. Continue reading...