FBI Director Kash Patel announced Tuesday that the feds disrupted a “two wave” domestic terrorist plot targeting the UFC Freedom 250 celebration prior to the event held on the White House South Lawn, Sunday.
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Five Epstein-obsessed suspects are currently in custody following a multi-state operation that was initiated when the threat was discovered on June 10. The suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Investigators have identified a potential network of 23 anti-Trump suspects involved in the pre-operational planning on encrypted Signal chats.
The patriotic UFC event was held on the South Lawn as part of President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday weekend, drawing an estimated 4,300 attendees, including about 1,200 active-duty service members. Another 85,000 people watched the grand spectacle on giant screens at the nearby Ellipse.
The suspects reportedly planned to use explosive-laden drones to strike buildings near the event, trigger a mass evacuation and steer crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team, officials said.
A subsequent “second wave” of attackers allegedly planned to storm the White House gate amidst the chaos.
One suspect, identified as Michael Alan Thomas of California, told investigators he believes the U.S. government is run by elites who were friends with Jeffrey Epstein, sacrifice and eat children, and are protected by President Trump, according to the federal arrest warrant.
He allegedly stated that their targets were “capitalist elites,” billionaires and politicians associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an American pro-Israel lobbying group.
Other suspects reportedly include Tycen Proper, 19, of Ohio:
And Bryan Omar Roa of California:
Investigators took screenshots of Signal chats where multiple people discussed the plot, posted maps of the UFC event and suggested where snipers should be placed.
Some of the individuals involved in the chats allegedly planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 to prepare for the attack.
The feds recovered rifles and ammunition from the alleged plotters, Fox reported.
The U.S. Secret Service said it “worked closely” with the FBI to disrupt 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. “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.”
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The operation involved at least 12 FBI field offices and partners including the Secret Service and Department of Justice. Arrests were made across multiple states, including Ohio, Missouri, and California, with one suspect taken into custody in Cincinnati. The FBI Director confirmed on Tuesday that the planned attacks were “stopped cold” by the feds’ prompt action.
“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,” said Patel.
Reacting to the news Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance on “FOX & Friends” called it “very, very dark stuff.”
“This is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence,” Vance said. “We got to tell everybody to tone it down.”
He added: “Everybody has a role to cut this stuff out, but I think a lot of my Democratic colleagues in Washington have got to look themselves in the mirror and say, why is so much of this political violence coming from our side of the spectrum?”
The disrupted plot comes amid a growing series of threats and security incidents targeting President Trump and senior administration officials.
Recent incidents include:
May 24, 2026: Nasire Best, 21, was fatally shot by Secret Service agents after opening fire near a White House checkpoint; he had a history of mental health issues and prior encounters with the agency.
April 25, 2026: Cole Allen, armed with multiple weapons and a manifesto, rushed the entry of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, intending to target senior officials before being stopped.
February 22, 2026: Secret Service agents killed Austin Tucker Martin, who carried a shotgun and gas canister during an unauthorized entry attempt at Mar-a-Lago.
These incidents follow two separate assassination attempts against Trump during the 2024 campaign, including the July 2024 rally shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, that grazed Trump’s ear, and the September 2024 incident at a Florida golf club.
Federal officials warn that the escalating risk is a result of extremist rhetoric, online radicalization, and foreign adversaries. The ongoing threat has resulted in heightened security measures for conservative judges, prosecutors, and public officials.
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