FBI stopped attack on UFC event at White House, Patel says

Myles Miller, Bloomberg News on Jun 16, 2026

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WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel said that the agency and law enforcement arrested “multiple individuals” planning an attack on the UFC America 250 Event at the White House on Sunday evening.

“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 wrote in a post on X.

A family member of one of the suspects contacted law enforcement, triggering the investigation, according to people familiar with the matter.

Federal law enforcement infiltrated Signal chats in which almost two dozen users allegedly discussed pre-operational activity targeting the event, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing an investigation. The plan called for explosive-laden drones to strike nearby buildings, triggering a mass evacuation and funneling crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team, the officials said. A second wave was then allegedly set to storm the White House gate.

Trump hosted the Ultimate Fighting Championship showcase on the White House South Lawn as he celebrated his 80th birthday and to mark the country’s 250th anniversary.

The White House complex, Trump and high-profile events associated with the president have been repeatedly targeted in recent years. The wave of political violence included a 2024 incident where Trump himself was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Since then there were additional assassination attempts at his golf club in Florida and at the White House Correspondents Dinner earlier this year.

Recent months have also seen gunmen killed after attempting to breach the security perimeter at Mar-a-Lago and a shooting near a security checkpoint at the White House. Trump has downplayed some of the more recent attempts, saying he remained confident in the Secret Service and wanted to continue public events — while arguing that the attacks also justified construction of a new ballroom on White House grounds with additional security and medical facilities.

“We are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens - particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight,” Patel wrote.

—With assistance from Justin Sink.