director of the fbi Kashi Patel Federal authorities thwarted an alleged attack plot against President Donald Trump, he said Tuesday UFC events at the White House over the weekend.
The event, called UFC Freedom 250, takes place on the White House lawn on Sunday night. Patel said the FBI discovered communications on the encrypted messaging app Signal involving 23 people who were allegedly discussing “pre-operational activities” related to the incident.
According to Patel, FBI On June 10, the U.S. government and its law enforcement partners became aware of the threat and launched a “multi-state operation” involving the Department of Justice and other agencies.
What did Kash Patel say?
In a statement released Tuesday morning, Patel claimed the FBI was able to stop the plan before it was implemented. “A number of people have been detained and an alleged planned attack has been thwarted,” Patel said.
He added that the investigation was federal authorities’ “best investigative work” and stressed that ensuring the safety of large public events remains the agency’s core responsibility.
Patel also noted that the investigation is ongoing and authorities will continue to share updates “as permitted.”
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What is the so-called attack plan?
More details reported by Fox News said the suspicious plan involved multiple stages. The first phase allegedly involved using explosives-laden drones to target buildings in the area surrounding the White House event, according to reports.
The second phase reportedly involved an attempt to storm the gates of the White House following the drone strike.
Fox News further reported that as of Monday, five people had been detained. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect or announced possible charges.
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What happens next?
Federal officials have not said how close the alleged plan is to execution or whether additional suspects are being sought.
As of Tuesday morning, the White House had not commented separately on Patel’s claims.
The UFC event attracted a lot of public attention because it was hosted directly at the White House and was attended by Trump and several high-profile guests.
