FBI says it disrupted alleged plot targeting UFC event at White House

The FBI disrupted an alleged plot targeting Sunday’s UFC cage-fight event at the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday.

“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,” Patel wrote in a post on X.

Patel said the FBI, the Justice Department and other law enforcement partners moved quickly in a multistate operation, putting “multiple individuals” in custody and stopping “allegedly planned attacks” before they were carried out.

The FBI director did not identify the people arrested, describe a motive or provide details about the alleged plot.

Patel shared a Fox News story that reported the alleged plan involved using drones carrying explosives to strike buildings near the event, followed by sniper fire at crowds fleeing the area and an attempt by others to storm the White House gate. CNBC has not independently confirmed those details.

Asked about the alleged plot Tuesday at the Group of Seven summit in France, Trump said, “I haven’t heard about it.”

“The attack that I watched was the fighters,” he added.

A spokesperson for the FBI referred CNBC to Patel’s post. The Justice Department declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement on X that his agency “worked closely with the FBI throughout this investigation.”

“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,” Curran wrote.

The Secret Service’s formal comments on the details of the alleged plot would come through court filings, Curran said.

The UFC event brought thousands of people to the White House complex and drew an enormous law enforcement presence in and around the area. Roads near the White House were blocked off, fencing was used to control crowds and federal, state and local law enforcement officers were deployed around the event.

Dana White, the president and CEO of UFC, is scheduled to appear on CNBC later Tuesday. This story will be updated with any comments he makes about the alleged plot and security around the White House event.