The US Department of Justice on Tuesday announced criminal charges against five men involved in an alleged plot to launch a mass-casualty drone and sniper attack at the White House during a weekend sports event.
The suspects targeted the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event, which took place on the White House grounds last Sunday.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents thwarted the conspiracy prior to execution, arresting the individuals over the weekend across Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche commended the swift, multi-state operation by law enforcement, reaffirming the government’s aggressive stance against those plotting acts of domestic violence.
According to court documents, the co-conspirators planned to detonate explosives-laden drones over the arena to trigger a panicked mass evacuation, subsequently positioning snipers to shoot “high-value targets” and fleeing spectators.
The five defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a USD 250,000 fine if convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, alongside additional federal charges for conspiring to commit violence on White House grounds.
