The FBI announced it had foiled a plot to attack with an explosive-laden drone during a UFC event in Washington held for the 80th birthday of US President Donald Trump. According to investigators, the plan wasn't one deranged man's improvisation but an elaborate, multi-stage operation.

The numbers are unsettling. Five people have been arrested, and the investigation identified around 23 individuals connected to the network or to the communications about the alleged plan. The FBI received the tip on 10 June, and one of the suspects was arrested in Cincinnati. According to sources, the plan envisaged explosive-carrying drones striking buildings near the event to create panic and a mass evacuation, funnelling people towards a pre-positioned sniper team, followed by an attempt to breach the gates of the White House.

The motive, according to statements, was ideological - one of the suspects said the targets were "capitalist elites", billionaires and politicians who take donations from pro-Israeli organisations. The discussions were allegedly held on the Signal app, where at least 23 users talked about the attack. FBI Director Kash Patel said that "thanks to the swift action of the FBI and partners, multiple individuals are in custody and the planned attacks were quickly stopped".

There were around 4,300 people at the event, including about 1,200 active members of the US military. As much as it sounds like a movie script, stories like this leave an uncomfortable question that holds everywhere, not just in America: if a crowd of 23 people could spend months planning an attack like this on a public app, how well does security around the most heavily guarded people on the planet really work? When power feels untouchable, that's exactly when it's most vulnerable.