Prosecutors have indicted eight men on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges for the failed attack on the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House. The authorities charged the men for their alleged roles in a thwarted drone and sniper attack on the UFC event in June.
Following the event, the FBI reported that it had intercepted a terrorist attack aimed at the event as well as at President Donald Trump. The alleged terrorists planned to target the event’s attendees with explosive drones and snipers . The attackers allegedly planned to steer attendees toward an area where snipers could shoot at them before a “second wave” would then directly attack the White House gates.
The indictment alleges that the defendants planned to kill Elon Musk, the prime minister of Israel, President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, as well as other federal leaders and “other high value targets” during the UFC Freedom 250 event.
Investigators reportedly initially identified 23 people as being involved in the plot. On Thursday, authorities charged eight men with two conspiracies: conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official.
The indictment lays out the alleged terrorists’ plan
The indictment also alleges that beginning in May 2026, the defendants plotted to give terrorists material support and resources, including cash, weapons, ammunition, explosives, body armor, drones, medical equipment, communication equipment, personnel, and other services.
The eight defendants allegedly took part in online forums and chat groups on Instagram, Signal, SimpleX, Discord, and TikTok. They allegedly created assault plans, recruited recruits, and pushed one another to get ready for attacks – including the attack on UFC Freedom 250 – during these exchanges.
According to the indictment, the defendants developed a tier system to categorize participants as part of their conspiracy. The purported goal of tier one conspirators was to “put themselves in harms [sic] way, break the law, and potentially go into hiding.”
The defendants also allegedly participated in marksmanship and combat training, decided on targets for the UFC Freedom 250 event, and developed operational plans to carry out the attack and flee thereafter, in addition to gathering guns, ammo, tactical gear, and other materials.
The charges against the eight men have maximum sentences of 15 years for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and life in prison for conspiring to commit murder.