WASHINGTON, D.C. — An alleged attack plot targeting the Freedom250 UFC event at the White House on Sunday is raising new fears about one of the fastest-growing threats in public safety: weaponized drones.
Federal investigators say suspects discussed using explosive-equipped drones to create panic among tens of thousands of people before gunmen were allegedly planned to open fire.
According to court filings, the suspects allegedly used an online chat to discuss plans that involved drones armed with explosives over the outdoor venue. The goal: create chaos, then attack people trying to escape.
“We’ve seen this president threatened. We’ve seen other presidents threatened. There should be zero tolerance for threats like this,” said Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
Slotkin said what makes this case stand out isn’t just the alleged target — it’s the technology.
“What is new and different is the threat of drones, right, of these kamikaze drones,” said Slotkin, a former CIA analyst. “The intelligence community, this is what they do, this is their bread and butter. But as those threats change, you need younger people with more expertise to join and help bring that to the fight. Recruiting is important.”
Congress has taken steps to expand counter-drone authorities in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which is legislation passed every year to specify the budget and policies for the Pentagon.
“Congress has recently passed legislation called the SAFER SKIES Act as part of the 2026 NDAA- that took a very important initial first step toward expanding the abilities of state and local law enforcement and correctional agencies,” said Lauren Bresette, associate director of government relations at the Security Industry Association.
The SAFER SKIES Act gives trained state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement officers limited authority to respond to drones that threaten public safety, critical infrastructure, prisons, major events and other protected locations. Similar powers have long existed at the federal level, but this legislation extends them to nonfederal agencies under strict rules that require training, federal oversight, approved technology and reporting. The law is designed to improve coordination and give local agencies clearer tools to address growing drone threats.
“We’ve got to let our local law enforcement to be able to shoot these things down before they kamikaze,” said Slotkin.
Experts say the concern is high when it comes to smaller drones, which can be purchased online and customized by hobbyists.
“There’s a lot of ways that you can use a small drone that you can get cheaply on Amazon or create yourself and outfit it any way that you want,” Bresette said. “And that’s what I think a lot of the concern is focused on, at least from the counter-drone providers.”
Bresette says as drone technology advances, so do counter-drone tools, including radar, radio-frequency tracking, infrared sensors and even the ability to take control of a drone remotely.
“There are different levels of identification, verification and tracking and mitigation technologies that can be used to counter this. Everything from radio frequency, there are cyber takeover technologies. There are abilities to create jamming in addition to the kinetic capabilities to take down a drone,” said Bresette. “It’s kind of a two-step system where you detect the drones, figure out which ones are hostile or potentially problematic, and then you mitigate.”
Bresette says it’s about making sure counter-drone technology and innovation get into the right hands.
“The solutions are out there. Just getting them into the right hands of the people to use them is what’s important to us,” she said.
As for the alleged UFC attack plot, the Justice Department says the investigation remains ongoing as officials continue reviewing communications, digital evidence and planning documents connected to the alleged plot.
