FBI Director Kash Patel attends UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Secret Service officials expressed anger after FBI Director Kash Patel publicly announced details of a sealed, ongoing investigation into an alleged drone attack plot targeting a White House UFC event.
Patel's Tuesday morning social media post potentially compromised approximately 10 pending arrests and disrupted coordinated plans by Secret Service and FBI officials to unseal the case jointly later that afternoon, according to reports by NBC News correspondent Ken Dilanian.
An anonymous administration official said, "We all woke up this morning to see this on Twitter."
The investigation began when a Cincinnati-area relative reported a suspect discussing Washington attack plans. Secret Service obtained a subpoena for encrypted Signal communications revealing drone attack details, leading to one arrest June 13.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn publicly rebuked Patel at a news conference, stating, "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."
Security has since been dramatically expanded for the event.
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