Murder, terror charges for suspects in Trump cage fight attack plot
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US President Donald Trump standing in The Octagon at the conclusion of the "UFC Freedom 250" mixed martial arts event, on the South Lawn of the White House on June 15.
PHOTO: AFP
- Eight men were indicted for planning a terrorist attack on a White House MMA event hosted by President Trump using armed drones and snipers.
- The plot was foiled before the June 14 UFC Freedom 250 event, which celebrated Trump's 80th birthday and US independence anniversary.
- Suspects coordinated online, faced federal charges for terrorism and murder conspiracy, and included a sniper; the White House remains heavily protected against such threats.
AI generated
WASHINGTON - Eight men accused in an alleged plot to attack a White House mixed martial arts fight hosted by President Donald Trump in June have been indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges, the Department of Justice said.
The suspects, ranging in age from 19 to 32, were accused of planning to use armed drones to attack the event on the White House South Lawn, with snipers firing on “high value targets” in the chaos, prosecutors have said.
Law enforcement officials said they foiled the plot in the lead-up to the June 14 “UFC Freedom 250“ event, which coincided with Trump’s 80th birthday and ultimately took place without incident.
It attracted thousands of fans to the fight in a temporary arena called “The Claw” that towered over the White House.
The eight alleged plotters were charged on July 9 in a two-count federal indictment in Columbus, Ohio, the Justice Department said.
They were accused of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official.
The federal charges returned by a grand jury replace initial charges filed by prosectors in various legal jurisdictions around the country.
Prosecutors said the plotters, who hailed from various states, had met in online chat groups to plan the attack, recruit members and encourage each other to carry out the assault.
The eighth suspect, 21-year-old Chandler Scaggs of West Virginia, was arrested this week and had allegedly been assigned to be a sniper, prosecutors said.
The White House is one of the most heavily guarded sites in the world, ringed with anti-aircraft capabilities, blanketed by surveillance, and staffed with specially trained response units.
The “UFC Freedom 250“ event kicked off this year’s festivities for the 250th anniversary of the declaration of US independence.
Trump has faced several assassination attempts in recent years, most recently in April when a gunman tried to storm a gala dinner hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association that Trump was attending. AFP
