Secret Service official: ‘We chose not to leak’ alleged White House UFC plot

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Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn on Tuesday said the agency “chose not to leak” details about an alleged plot targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House lawn.

“I’ll tell you a phrase I learned early in my career in the New York field office, and that’s don’t choke on your own smoke,” Quinn said during a press conference.

“Anyone that believes that case was worked in a bubble is naive. I’ll tell you the Secret Service led that investigation from the beginning. I’ll tell you that it’s ongoing in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan. We chose not to leak it,” he said.

The FBI thwarted the plot, cooperating with multiple state law enforcement agencies to arrest 23 people located outside the capital region, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. He did not release all of the names of the suspects in custody or the full nature of the alleged plot, but said the investigation remains ongoing.

Quinn called it a “serious threat,” but added that “some” of what was released earlier Tuesday was accurate. The Hill has reached out to the FBI for comment about this remark.

“I’m not going to get into too many details because, like I said, this is still an active ongoing investigation,” he continued. “Just because we’re done with Freedom 250 or that particular event doesn’t mean we’re going to stop. There are still suspects at large and we’re going to work it until everyone’s been identified.”

Quinn said the threat was “unique” due to the number of suspects and “level of planning involved,” and said the Secret Service has seen a “significant increase” in threat cases in 2026 so far.

“We’re up 40% this year in threat cases,” he said. “I’m not going to comment on reality or realism of being able to carry it out. What I’ll tell you is we’re going to take every threat on its face. If you say you’re going to do it, we’re going to believe you until we can prove otherwise.”

One unsealed affidavit showed Ohio resident Tycen Proper, 19, arrested and charged in connection with the plot with several counts, including attempted murder. Prosecutors accused Proper of communicating with people online about detailed plans to use explosive-laden drones to trigger a mass evacuation near the White House before directing crows and “high-value targets” toward gunmen positioned elsewhere in the area.

His mother contacted the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and reported about Proper’s behavior and communications online. The affidavit alleges that Proper admitted to investigators that he and others planned to carry out the attack at the UFC event on Sunday.

Trump, when asked about the alleged plot on the event that coincided with his 80th birthday, told reporters in France on Tuesday that he had not heard about the attack.

“The attack I watched were the fighters,” he quipped, referring to the UFC participants.

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Kash Patel

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