Nicolai Haugsted
Eight face terrorism charges after alleged plan to assassinate Trump is uncovered
Federal prosecutors have unveiled sweeping terrorism charges after authorities said a large-scale plot targeting senior political figures was uncovered before it could be carried out.
According to Ekstra Bladet via. the U.S. Department of Justice, eight men have been indicted over an alleged plan to carry out a deadly attack during a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event held on the White House lawn, where President Donald Trump was in attendance.
Trump among intended targets
Prosecutors allege the suspects intended to assassinate Trump during the June 14 event, which coincided with the president’s 80th birthday.
Vice President J.D. Vance, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were also listed as intended targets, according to the Justice Department. Authorities further said the group planned to kill several other “high-profile targets.”
Netanyahu did not attend the event.
Ages of the eight defendants range from 19 to 32.
Terrorism-related charges filed
Court filings show the suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder on federal property, conspiracy to murder a federal official and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.
Public court records have not indicated how the defendants have responded to the allegations.
News of the alleged assassination plot first emerged two days after the MMA event, when officials revealed that the FBI had disrupted the operation before it could be executed.
According to court documents previously reported by the Associated Press, investigators obtained encrypted messages exchanged among roughly 20 individuals discussing the use of explosive-laden drones and plans to shoot people as they fled.
Messages also allegedly included detailed maps of the area surrounding the venue, discussions about escape routes and references to establishing a safe house after the attack.
Mother’s warning led investigators to suspect
Reuters reports that the FBI’s investigation began after the mother of one of the suspects, a 19-year-old man, contacted police.
Authorities said she reported that her son had purchased multiple firearms and had been communicating online with individuals she considered deeply concerning.
Information provided through that tip ultimately helped investigators trace what prosecutors now describe as a coordinated conspiracy that allegedly targeted some of the highest-profile figures in American public life.
