Eight Indicted Over Alleged Drone, Sniper Plot Targeting White House UFC Event

Eight men have been indicted on federal murder conspiracy and terrorism-related charges over an alleged plot to launch a drone and sniper attack targeting a UFC event held at the White House in June, in what U.S. authorities describe as one of the most serious disrupted domestic terror plots in recent years.

A federal grand jury in Ohio charged the suspects with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to commit murder on federal government property , including the alleged planned killing of a federal government official. Prosecutors allege the group spent weeks preparing for the attack by acquiring firearms, ammunition, explosives, drones, body armour, communications equipment and medical supplies.

According to court documents, law enforcement received intelligence about a potential threat on June 10 , four days before the Freedom 250 UFC event hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House. The alleged plot was disrupted before it could be carried out.

Investigators said one of the suspects told authorities the plan involved flying explosive-laden drones into the event before snipers opened fire on spectators fleeing the venue, aiming to cause mass casualties and widespread panic. Officials allege the group was driven by fringe extremist beliefs and sought to destabilise the U.S. government.

Seven suspects had already been arrested in coordinated operations across Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska and California . The eighth defendant, Chandler D. Scaggs, 21, of West Virginia , was arrested this week. Court filings allege Scaggs was assigned to serve as one of the snipers and continued trying to reach the event after losing contact with other conspirators following earlier arrests.

The case underscores growing concerns over domestic extremism in the United States, where security agencies have repeatedly warned that ideologically motivated individuals and small, loosely connected groups increasingly pose significant threats to public events and government institutions. The swift intervention by federal authorities prevented what investigators say could have been a devastating attack at one of the country's most heavily secured venues.