FBI foils alleged plot to attack White House UFC event, Kash Patel says

The FBI foiled an alleged plot to attack Sunday’s UFC fight at the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X.

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“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 Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Patel said in the post.

The FBI director shared a story from Fox News, which reported that a group allegedly planned to use drones with explosives to hit buildings near the fight and target the crowds as they fled with a sniper team. Fox News also reported that other alleged perpetrators then planned to storm the White House gate. NBC News has not confirmed the details of the alleged plot.

A senior law enforcement official told NBC News that the plot was “quite serious.”

Reached for comment, an FBI spokesperson referred NBC News to Patel’s post. The White House did not immediately provide comment.

There was an enormous visible law enforcement presence in and around the White House complex over the weekend. Law enforcement officials blocked off roads, used fencing to control crowds and deployed hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement officers to the crowd of thousands of people who were at or near the White House.

The motives of the alleged planners have not been released.

A string of acts of political violence and attempted attacks have rocked the country in recent years.

In April, a man allegedly armed with guns and knives ran through a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen , pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate the president.

In 2024, Trump faced two assassination attempts when a gunman opened fire during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and months later, when a man aimed a rifle through bushes at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was playing golf.

Last year, a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were killed in what authorities called a “politically motivated” attack. The suspect, Vance Boelter, has pleaded guilty to the crime. Months after those shootings, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a political event.

Lawmakers too, are facing a spike in threats. The U.S. Capitol Police said they investigated nearly 15,000 “concerning statements, behaviors, and communications” targeting lawmakers, their families, staff or the Capitol last year. The prior year, police investigated more than 9,000 potential threats.