Eight Men Charged with Planning Attack on the White House
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Eight men were formally charged on Thursday with murder and conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism due to their alleged involvement in a thwarted attack — which included the use of drones and snipers — against a UFC cage fighting event scheduled for June to celebrate President Donald Trump's 80th birthday. The formal indictment, filed in Ohio, charges the eight individuals in two separate conspiracies: one for providing material support to terrorists and another for committing murder on federal territory and killing a federal official. Court records do not clarify how close the alleged attackers were to carrying out the plan before it was thwarted. According to the new indictment, the plot began in May when the group started accumulating money, firearms, ammunition, bulletproof vests, explosives, drones, medical equipment, communication gear, and other items. On June 10, law enforcement became aware of a potential threat against President Trump's UFC event, four days before the mixed martial arts show was to take place. Last month, the Department of Justice announced a series of criminal complaints in various districts across the country related to the plot against the UFC, including cases in Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska, and California. The indictment announced on Thursday represents a government effort to expedite the case and consolidate the defendants into a single court proceeding for conspiracy in Ohio. Authorities have noted that group members harbored extremist conspiracy theories and hoped the attack would destabilize the government.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
