Five Arrested in White House UFC Plot as Data Center Grievances Surface in Attack Plan
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Jun 19
Five Arrested in White House UFC Plot as Data Center Grievances Surface in Attack Plan
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Jun 19
Summary
Five suspects were charged with conspiracy to commit murder after authorities said they planned to attack the June 14 UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House with explosive drones and gunfire.
A 19-year-old suspect's mother alerted police on June 10, prosecutors said, after finding her son had stockpiled weapons and joined an online group citing government corruption, Epstein files and data centers "taking up all the water."
Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn called it a serious threat but said the event was never at risk; authorities also said some suspects remain at large.
The case adds data centers to a widening list of anti-AI flashpoints after recent threats and attacks tied to projects in California, Indiana and Michigan.
That escalation tracks broader backlash: Brookings found electricity costs up 42% since 2019, Gallup says most Americans oppose a local data center, and opponents delayed about $98 billion in projects in 2025.