Eight men were indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges on July 9 for their alleged roles in a thwarted plot to attack a UFC cage-fighting show at the White House in June 2026. The group planned to fly explosive-laden drones into the event and then shoot panicked crowd members as they fled, authorities said. The indictment, returned by a grand jury in Columbus, Ohio, charges the men with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and to commit murder on federal territory, including targeting a government official.
The plot began in May 2026, when the suspects started amassing firearms, ammunition, explosives, drones, body armor, and communications equipment. Authorities learned of the threat on June 10, four days before the "Freedom 250" event held on Donald Trump's 80th birthday in an arena before the White House, which drew more than 4,000 attendees including cabinet members and business leaders.
The group hoped to destabilize the government through the attack. Seven suspects were arrested around the time of the event, while an eighth man from West Virginia, allegedly assigned as a sniper, was charged this week.