Two more arrested in White House attack plot tied to UFC event
Two new arrests lifted the total to seven in a plot investigators say targeted UFC Freedom 250 at the White House with drones, weapons and a second wave attack.
Federal investigators say the White House UFC card was the target of a multi-state attack plot that came apart four days before fighters stepped onto the South Lawn. Two more men, one in Missouri and one in Washington state, were arrested as the case widened to seven defendants.
The Justice Department says the group planned a mass-casualty attack against government officials and others attending UFC Freedom 250, the mixed martial arts event held June 14, 2026, at the White House. The card was staged as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations and also fell on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, with Trump attending alongside first lady Melania Trump and senior officials.
Authorities say the investigation began after law enforcement learned of a possible threat on June 10, giving federal agencies just days to intervene before the event. The Justice Department said the Secret Service, FBI, U.S. attorneys, U.S. Park Police and D.C. police worked together to disrupt the plot before it could be carried out.
Prosecutors identified the newest defendants as Jordan Rincker of Missouri and William Lee Falkner of Washington state. They allege Rincker accepted a $1,200 cash payment, supplied a pump-action shotgun to a co-conspirator and wired $100 to help a California defendant travel to Washington, D.C. They also say he discussed 3D-printing drone parts.
Falkner, prosecutors say, discussed drones rigged with explosives and said he could fly up to 40 drones at once. Authorities say the alleged plan involved explosive-laden drones and a possible second wave attack at a security checkpoint, showing a broader effort than a single strike on the event perimeter.
The first five arrests were made across Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska and California, and investigators say the case now spans multiple states. Officials also traced some of the alleged conspirators to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13, and families had raised concerns about recent changes in behavior.
The event itself went ahead under heavy security on the White House South Lawn. But the case has now turned into a national security probe into how a politically charged, campaign-adjacent spectacle was targeted and how quickly federal agencies moved to stop it.
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