WASHINGTON: Law enforcement officials disrupted "planned attacks" meant to target the UFC cage-fighting show staged at the White House this past weekend for President Donald Trump's birthday, and multiple people were in custody, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday.
The nature of the potential threat was not immediately disclosed, with additional details expected to be released once charges are unsealed later Tuesday.
Five people were arrested from states including Ohio, Missouri and California, said a law enforcement official familiar with the matter. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that was not yet public.
The FBI learned about the possible threat on June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza on the White House's South Lawn, "and thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold," Patel said in a post on X on Tuesday morning.
The Secret Service "worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable," Director Sean Curran said in a separate statement.
Trump, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the UFC event on Sunday, sought to tie the fights to larger celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Speaking to reporters Tuesday in Évian-les-Bains, France, where he was attending the Group of Seven summit, Trump said he had not been briefed on the thwarted plot.