U.S. authorities have revealed new details about what they described as a serious security plot targeting President Donald Trump and several other high-profile figures. The alleged plot was foiled before it could be carried out, as a federal grand jury indicted eight men accused of planning a large-scale attack during a mixed martial arts event held on the White House grounds last month, coinciding with the president's 80th birthday celebration.
اضافة اعلان
According to the indictment, the eight men, aged between 19 and 32, planned to use explosive-laden drones and snipers during the event.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement on Thursday that the group allegedly intended to assassinate President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other U.S. officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, businessman Elon Musk, and "other high-value targets" expected to attend the event.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on June 16—two days after the event—that it had foiled the alleged plot before it could be executed. U.S. authorities are now seeking to consolidate the cases against all defendants into a single criminal conspiracy prosecution in Ohio.
'Major Conspiracy'
Federal prosecutors charged the defendants with two primary offenses: conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to commit murder on federal property and murder a federal government official. The first charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, while the second is punishable by life imprisonment.
According to the indictment, the group began planning the attack in May by raising funds and purchasing firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, communications equipment, medical supplies, and other materials needed to carry out the operation.
President Trump attended the event, titled "Freedom 250," which marked the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence and was attended by Republican lawmakers, donors, and senior administration officials. Netanyahu, however, was not present.
Court documents indicate that law enforcement became aware of a potential threat targeting the event on June 10, just four days before it took place.
Case Details
According to a federal affidavit submitted by prosecutors, one of the suspects told investigators that the plan involved launching explosive-laden drones at the northern side of the White House to force attendees toward an exit, where snipers would be positioned to open fire on politicians, officials, and others attempting to flee.
The federal indictment states that the group communicated through chat groups and forums on Signal, Discord, TikTok, and Instagram. Members were assigned different operational tiers, including a "Tier One" consisting of individuals willing to put themselves in danger, break the law, and go into hiding after carrying out the attack.
Court documents also indicate that members underwent firearms and combat training in preparation for the operation. Officials said the group embraced extremist conspiracy theories and hoped the attack would destabilize the U.S. government.
Last month, the Justice Department announced criminal complaints against suspects in Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska, and California before consolidating them under a single federal indictment.
Among those charged is 19-year-old Tycen C. Proper of Ohio, who was arrested along with four other suspects during the weekend of the event. Additional suspects were later arrested in Washington and Missouri.
Earlier this week, the Justice Department also charged the eighth suspect, 21-year-old Chandler D. Scaggs of West Virginia, who authorities allege was assigned to serve as one of the snipers in the planned attack.
According to a federal affidavit, Scaggs was supposed to travel to Washington with Proper but lost contact with him following his arrest. Prosecutors say Scaggs later informed other members that he remained willing to participate and began arranging travel with another alleged conspirator.
Scaggs' attorney, Eric Briem, said he is reviewing the charges against his client and declined further comment.
Not the First Attempt
On April 27, a U.S. court charged Cole Thomas Allen with attempting to assassinate President Trump following a shooting during the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Allen, 31, faces a potential life sentence if convicted.
Prosecutors said Allen was carrying a semi-automatic pistol, a rifle, and three knives when he attempted to breach security at the Hilton hotel hosting the event. He allegedly opened fire on security personnel, who subdued him before he could enter the banquet hall.
The White House blamed what it described as a "left-wing hate cult" for the shooting at the Correspondents' Dinner.
Previously, Trump survived two assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign to return to the White House. The first occurred in July at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump's right ear.
The second took place in September 2024 near Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, where a U.S. Secret Service agent spotted an armed man, Ryan Wesley Routh, hiding near the course before the attack was thwarted.
(Agencies)
