Eight men in the United States have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and terrorism, accused of planning a drone and shooting attack aimed at killing former US President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk during the UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House lawn in June 2026.

The indictment, filed before a federal grand jury in Ohio, alleges the men, aged between 19 and 32, conspired to kill Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk, and other high-value targets at the June 14 event. The group is also accused of providing material support to terrorists and planning to commit murder on US government property.

According to court documents, the men agreed to travel from states including Nebraska, Missouri, Washington DC, Ohio, West Virginia, and California to the White House, and had planned an escape method following the attack. One individual, Mr. Roa, reportedly began driving from California to Washington, DC on June 11 but encountered car trouble the next day.

Authorities learned of the threat on June 10, four days before the UFC event. Earlier court filings revealed police were first called to a home in Knox County, northeast of Columbus, Ohio, after concerns were raised by the mother of one suspect, Mr. Proper, about his online communications and recent weapons purchases.

Officials noted the group harbored fringe conspiracy theories and aimed to destabilize the US government. They spent at least $3,000 USD on camping gear, food, and body armor, and employed a 'tier' system to classify participants, committing to put themselves in harm's way and potentially break the law.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed last month that the plot had been intercepted, with at least five people taken into custody and 23 others identified as part of a potential network of co-conspirators.

Donald Trump attended the UFC event with Dana White and other Republican politicians on his 80th birthday without incident.

Sources