The FBI has arrested two more men in connection with an alleged plot to attack an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held at the White House on President Donald Trump's birthday, the US Justice Department said on Monday.
Both men are accused of conspiracy to murder, the department said. One was arrested on Friday and the other on Sunday. Both made their first court appearances on Monday.
The Justice Department had said last week that five other suspects had been charged in connection with the alleged plot against the event outside the White House on June 14. They are also accused, among other things, of conspiracy to murder.
Prosecutors allege that the men also planned to target members of the US administration.
"The conspirators allegedly planned to deploy drones armed with explosives in and around the UFC Freedom 250 event in order to force an evacuation of the event and then planned to deploy snipers to fire upon 'high value targets' within the fleeing crowd," the department said in a statement last week.
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on social media platform X last week that the FBI and law enforcement partners had become aware of a "potential threat" to the event on June 10. He said the alleged attack was ultimately prevented by arrests.
Trump is known as a fan of the UFC, the biggest professional mixed martial arts (MMA) league. MMA is a combat sport that combines techniques from disciplines including boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, karate and jiu-jitsu.
Top UFC fighters competed in a specially built arena on the White House grounds. Guests included Trump and his family, several Cabinet members and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
The official occasion was not Trump's birthday, but celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence. The Independence Day holiday itself falls on July 4.
