Milan, 17 June (LaPresse/AP) – The five people arrested in the United States have been charged because, according to the FBI, they allegedly discussed a plot to attack the UFC fighting event held at the White House at the weekend to mark Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. According to court documents, the conspirators – who are supporters of extreme conspiracy theories – discussed flying drones laden with explosives and firing on the panicking crowd as it fled. The documents show that last week, investigators seized firearms from several suspects and obtained encrypted text messages between around 20 participants who were sharing detailed maps and aerial photographs of the area and discussing the need for a ‘safe house’ and escape routes following the attack. However, it is not clear from the court documents how close the potential attackers would have come to carrying out the plan had it not been foiled. Several suspects or accomplices questioned by the authorities stated that they had no intention of carrying out acts of violence themselves, but had instead planned to observe the others. And although participants in the group chat discussed using drones equipped with explosives, the indictments do not reveal that the police have identified any such drones.
US: Drone attack on the White House foiled; the five arrested have been charged
Milan, 17 June (LaPresse/AP) – The five people arrested in the United States have been charged because, according to the FBI, they allegedly discussed a plot to attack the UFC fighting event held at the White House at the weekend to mark Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. According to court documents, the conspirators – who are supporters of extreme conspiracy theories – discussed flying drones laden with explosives and firing on the panicking crowd as it fled. The documents show that last week, investigators seized firearms from several suspects and obtained encrypted text messages between around 20 participants who were sharing detailed maps and aerial photographs of the area and discussing the need for a ‘safe house’ and escape routes following the attack. However, it is not clear from the court documents how close the potential attackers would have come to carrying out the plan had it not been foiled. Several suspects or accomplices questioned by the authorities stated that they had no intention of carrying out acts of violence themselves, but had instead planned to observe the others. And although participants in the group chat discussed using drones equipped with explosives, the indictments do not reveal that the police have identified any such drones.
