▲ U.S. President Donald Trump meeting with UFC fighters at the White House.
Eight individuals have been indicted on charges of conspiring to commit a terrorist attack at a martial arts event held at the White House, according to reports from the Associated Press and other outlets on July 9 (local time).
The defendants, all men aged 19 to 32 residing in the United States, face charges of attempting to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder federal government officials.
According to court documents, including the indictment, the group conspired to drop a bomb-laden drone on a UFC event held at the White House this past June and to shoot fleeing spectators.
U.S. federal prosecutors allege that the group planned to target and kill high-profile figures, including U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Investigators explained that the motive behind the plot was the group's belief that such an attack, driven by their obsession with extreme conspiracy theories, would destabilize the government.
Based on court records, the group appears to be domestic extremists, and there is currently no information suggesting links to foreign extremist organizations.
The group had been preparing for the attack since May by gathering funds, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, and communication equipment.
Authorities became aware of the group's intentions and intervened on June 10, four days before the event was scheduled to take place.
Five individuals, including 19-year-old Tyson C. Proper from Ohio, were arrested over the weekend leading up to the event in Missouri, Nebraska, and California.
Two other participants were subsequently apprehended in Washington state and Missouri, and the final suspect, who was designated to act as a sniper, was arrested last week.
The Associated Press reported that it is not clear from court records how close the plot was to being executed.
The UFC held "UFC Freedom 250" on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, which marked President Trump's 80th birthday and commemorated the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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