Just days after the gala, the FBI announced that it had thwarted “a potential attack” on the martial arts event held to celebrate President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. Among the more than 4,000 people in the audience were both government officials and business leaders.
The men now indicted are accused of planning murder and terrorist acts.
According to the indictment, plans for an attack began in May when the group allegedly began collecting money, weapons, ammunition, explosives, body armour and drones, among other things.
One of the defendants allegedly admitted to investigators that they planned to fly drones loaded with explosives into the area of the event, and then shoot the fleeing visitors.
