An alleged plot to target the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House over the weekend using explosive-laden drones and snipers was thwarted by the FBI and law enforcement partners in the days leading up to the event, officials have revealed. 

FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency and its law enforcement partners first became aware of a potential threat “involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region” against the event on June 10. He said, “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.”

Officials told Fox News that five people were in custody as of Monday, and that a total of 23 people were identified as being part of a potential network of people involved in the plot. The alleged plot involved the use of explosive-laden drones, which would strike buildings in the area of the event, which took place on the White House South Lawn. The explosions would force a mass evacuation, steering the crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team. Officials said that a second wave was also allegedly planned which would storm the White House gate. 

Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement, “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. 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.”

Signal chats were uncovered by investigators, in which multiple people discussed attacking the event. One of the suspect’s phones showed at least 23 users in the Signal chat discussing pre-operational activity. Officials said that some of those involved in the plot planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 in preparation for the attack on the June 14 event. 

One suspect reportedly told investigators that they planned to target “capital elites,” “billionaires,” or politicians who have received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). 

The investigations stretched across at least 12 FBI field offices, with the first arrest taking place in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Patel said, “While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team – 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. That’s exactly what we did here. I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing and we will continue to update the public as permitted.”

JD Vance told Fox & Friends on Tuesday, “This is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence. We got to tell everybody to tone it down.”

“Everybody has a role to cut this stuff out,” Vance continued. “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?”