Foiled attack on a UFC event at the White House: eight men charged in the United States

Eight men have been indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury for their alleged involvement in a plot to attack an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event scheduled for June on the White House lawn. The announcement was made Thursday by the Justice Department, which accuses the suspects of planning an attack against several high-ranking U.S. political figures.

The eight defendants, aged 19 to 32, were arraigned in Columbus, Ohio, on charges including two main counts: conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal property and to assassinate a U.S. government official. Authorities say the first arrest was made in Ohio and the other seven suspects have since been apprehended.

According to the Justice Department, the men were planning, among other things, to assassinate the president. Donald TrumpVice President JD Vance, several US officials, billionaire Elon Musk, and other "high-value targets" were among those targeted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also included in the plot, although he ultimately did not attend the event.

The FBI announced last month that it had thwarted the attack before it could be carried out. According to investigators, the suspects planned to use drones loaded with explosives to strike the north side of the White House. The objective would have been to create a panic, forcing attendees to use an exit where snipers planned to open fire on the dignitaries and other attendees.

The UFC event ultimately took place without incident. Donald Trump attended on his 80th birthday, surrounded by senior Republican officials, donors, and members of his administration, as part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.

The Justice Department also states that the eight men communicated on several messaging platforms and social media networks, including Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok, and Instagram, to organize their plan. The suspects could not be reached for comment on the charges against them.