Image credit: APThe FBI disrupted a planned attack targeting US President Donald Trump's 80th birthday event and UFC cage-fighting show at the White House this past weekend. They have arrested five suspects who allegedly discussed using explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they fled, according to court papers that were unsealed on Tuesday.The plot involved striking the north side of the White House with drones to spark panic and draw the fleeing crowd toward snipers who planned to open fire on politicians and others, prosecutors alleged.A "second wave" of attackers was then supposed to storm the White House gate.Investigators recovered high-powered firearms from several suspects and reviewed encrypted text messages between roughly 20 participants who shared detailed maps and aerial photographs of the area, according to the documents. The group discussed the need for a "safe house" and escape routes after the intended attack.How the plot was uncoveredThe FBI learned about the possible threat on June 10, four days before the UFC cage-fighting show, FBI Director Kash Patel said. The tip came when Tycen Proper's mother called local police in Ohio to report concerns about her 19-year-old son's large firearms purchases and online communications.Proper told investigators he participated in planning an attack, according to an FBI affidavit. He said the group began communicating around March through a TikTok group called "Vanguard of the Old," where members discussed their belief that the United States "needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt."Those who were vetted moved to discussions on Signal, the encrypted messaging app. A main chat had about 19 people, with smaller side chats based on roles or locations.Targets included Trump, Vance, Netanyahu and MuskCourt filings revealed the group allegedly eyed potential targets that included Trump, vice president JD Vance, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elon Musk, as well as several elected officials, though not all attended the event.Group members discussed grievances over government corruption, the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, data centers and other government actions, prosecutors said. Some expressed a desire that "people who were involved with Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the country."Suspects arrested across four statesFive people were arrested on federal charges across Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska and California:Tycen C Proper, 19, of Ohio — charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit an offence against the United States, and firearm offencesBryan Omar Roa, 24, of California — told the FBI he had planned to attend as a protester but returned home after his car broke downMichael Alan Thomas, 32, of California — viewed himself as "the planner and advisor for the group" who wanted to guide others on how to carry out attacksDaniel K Eskridge, 32, of Missouri — allegedly said a target should be "big and someone a majority of the country knows"Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, of Nebraska — responsible for planning, organising and directing the planned attackVice President JD Vance described the planning as "not that advanced," saying on Fox News: "They weren't in town. They had not really done that much planning."However, Vance also suggested an underground network may have been involved. "23 people do not get to the point where they're going to commit a mass terror incident in Washington DC without some serious funding, without some serious coordination," he said.When asked about the alleged plot during the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, Trump said: "I haven't heard about it."Secret Service deputy director Matthew Quinn appeared frustrated by the public disclosure, saying at a briefing: "Anyone that believes that case was worked in a bubble is naive. The Secret Service led that investigation from the beginning. In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan, we chose not to leak it."Despite the threat, the UFC event went ahead on Sunday without incident, attended by thousands including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and former footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.The seven-fight card culminated in a shock defeat for Spain's previously undefeated Ilia Topuria at the hands of US fighter Justin Gaethje. The crowd repeatedly chanted "USA! USA!" when an American faced a foreign opponent.Each suspect faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of conspiracy to murder. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 29.