The US Justice Department has charged at least five individuals in connection with an alleged plot to attack the Ultimate Fighting Championship event held at the White House over the weekend, according to court records unsealed Tuesday. The FBI reportedly learned of the plot on June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn, which marked Donald Trump's 80th birthday.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated on X: “Thanks to the rapid action of the 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.” Law enforcement allegedly discovered the plot after the mother of one of the accused contacted local police, according to an FBI affidavit.
The FBI identified a group of conspirators who allegedly procured weapons and developed detailed plans, including flying explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they fled the White House lawn. Communications were conducted via the encrypted app Signal, with a primary chat of approximately 19 individuals and smaller side chats.
Among those arrested is 19-year-old Tycen P., whose mother reportedly alerted authorities about his firearm purchases and online communications. After his arrest, Tycen P. allegedly identified usernames of others in the encrypted chats. Chat group members held varying views, ranging from anti-government sentiment to anger over the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and conspiracy theories about a powerful elite sacrificing children.
Messages obtained from Tycen P.'s phone allegedly focused on antisemitic grievances and named several Republican lawmakers he claimed should be targeted for being pro-Israel. When asked about the alleged plot at the G7 summit in France, President Trump reportedly told reporters he had not heard about it, saying: “The attack I watched were the fighters,” referring to UFC participants.
The investigation remains ongoing, with arrests made in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California.
Source: www.dw.com