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National Guard members stand guard on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 16 (local time) while the venue for the "UFC Freedom 250" event is being dismantled. / Photo courtesy of AFP, Yonhap News Agency

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that it has uncovered a plot to carry out a terrorist attack at the mixed martial arts event "UFC Freedom 250," which was held at the White House in Washington, D.C. on June 14 (local time), and has arrested the individuals involved.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated on his social media account on June 16, "The FBI and law enforcement agencies identified a potential threat in Washington, D.C. on June 10 related to the UFC event, involving individuals from outside the capital region." He explained, "Through a swift joint operation by the FBI, partner agencies, and the Department of Justice, multiple individuals were arrested, preemptively thwarting what appeared to be a planned attack."

He added, "We exist to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens at events with large crowds, such as this historic UFC tournament."

According to Fox News, The Washington Post (WP), and the Associated Press (AP), the U.S. Department of Justice indicted on the same day five individuals in their 10s to 30s from various regions on charges of plotting to assassinate government officials and other attendees at the event. The department stated, "These individuals conspired to plan and execute an incident intended to cause mass casualties."

Prior to this, law enforcement authorities had identified 23 individuals belonging to an "attack plot network" as co-conspirators and arrested five of them. The co-conspirators reportedly plotted the terrorist attack using the social media app TikTok and the messaging app Signal.

According to uncovered court documents, the terror plot discovered by the FBI included a plan to fly explosive-laden drones over the crowd to detonate them, followed by shooting at fleeing spectators.

The "UFC Freedom 250," held on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, was organized to celebrate both the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the 80th birthday of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The event featured two military flyovers, and fireworks continued in the vicinity past midnight.

To ensure safety during the fireworks display, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary "ground stop" order, halting aircraft takeoffs and landings at three airports in the Washington, D.C. area.

                                                                                                            Kim Hyun-min