Ohio teen among suspects: FBI probes alleged multistate drone & sniper attack plan at UFC

WASHINGTON (TNND) — A high-profile UFC fight staged on the White House lawn over the weekend was the apparent target of an alleged attack plot involving explosive-laden drones and snipers, according to the FBI.

The FBI said it foiled a potential plot aimed at the UFC Freedom 250, an event that featured President Trump sitting ringside. Trump said he was not briefed on the alleged plot. (TNND)

The FBI said it foiled a potential plot aimed at the UFC Freedom 250 , an event that featured President Trump sitting ringside. Trump said he was not briefed on the alleged plot.

“I haven’t heard it, no. The attack that I watched were the fighters,” Trump said.

Federal authorities said the alleged plan involved multiple waves, beginning with drones armed with explosives intended to scare the crowd. Estimates put attendance at more than 4,000 people at the White House, with around 100,000 at a nearby watch party. The plan then allegedly involved snipers targeting the crowd, followed by what was described as a second-wave attack on the White House itself.

FBI Director Kash Patel said there have been multiple arrests stemming from a multistate operation outside the Washington, D.C., area. Among them is 19-year-old Tycen Proper, who was arrested in Knox County, Ohio . Investigators also reviewed chats on the app Signal that indicated around 20 people could have been involved.

“This is really an extraordinary event that the Bureau was able to stop,” said Ken Gray, a former FBI special agent.

Gray said the widespread availability of drone technology has made security more complex. The FBI has seized dozens of drones around World Cup host stadiums for violating no-fly zones, as major events continue to test the ability of law enforcement to keep large crowds safe.

The president also announced that the Fourth of July celebration marking America’s 250th birthday will now be a Trump rally, adding security pressure to an already large event.

“The Bureau had already been warning the possibility, and Homeland Security had also been warning the possibility that drones could be used in such a way against some of these large-scale eventsbut this nonetheless is a wake-up call that the threat is real,” Gray said.

Court documents for Proper indicate the group was looking to “jumpstart a revolution” with an attack that was allegedly meant to target politicians who were pro-Israel and elites who attended the fight.w