Terrorist Group Planned Drone Attack on UFC Tournament Near the White House

The FBI reported that it thwarted a terrorist plot involving drones that targeted the UFC Freedom 250 tournament held on the White House lawn.

According to The Hill, citing FBI Director Kash Patel, federal authorities first became aware of the threat on June 10 after receiving information through the Signal messaging app, several days before the event.

President Donald Trump, members of his family, lawmakers, government officials, and business leaders attended the UFC tournament on Sunday. The FBI said the planned attack involved the use of drones and was prevented before it could be carried out.

According to Patel, 23 people from outside the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area were involved in planning the attack.

One of the suspects, 19-year-old Tycen Proper of Ohio, was arrested and charged with multiple serious offenses, including the attempted murder of a federal official.

According to investigators, Proper allegedly helped organize an online plot to use kamikaze drones to cause panic and force a mass evacuation near the White House. Authorities say the attackers planned to exploit the resulting chaos by directing evacuees, including designated high-value targets, toward an area where armed assailants would be positioned.

Investigators also allege that Proper had been acquiring equipment, weapons, ammunition, and maps of the Washington, D.C., area in preparation for the attack. The investigation began after his mother contacted the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, reporting concerns about his behavior and online activity.

According to investigators, Proper admitted that he and other participants had discussed carrying out a coordinated attack against the U.S. government during the UFC event near the White House.

A court filing states that the alleged plot was intended to spark a revolutionary movement in the country.

The charges against Proper include conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and receiving or transferring weapons for use in a felony offense. If convicted, he could face decades in federal prison.

FBI Director Kash Patel did not identify any other suspects or provide further details about the alleged plot, saying only that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional information will be released when appropriate.

Speaking at the G7 Summit in France, President Donald Trump said he had not been briefed on any potential assassination threat.