Federal authorities say they have stopped a major terrorist plot that could have put lives at risk on New Year’s Eve in Southern California. According to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, four people were arrested for allegedly planning a series of bombings targeting businesses in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on December 15, 2025, that the FBI disrupted what she called a “massive and horrific terror plot.” Officials say the suspects were part of an extremist group known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), which authorities describe as far-left, anti-government, anti-capitalist, and pro-Palestine. Investigators say the group also planned to target U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles.
The four suspects arrested were identified as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. All four were charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device. Additional charges may be filed, according to federal prosecutors. The suspects are scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles.
FBI officials said the group planned to use improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, hidden in backpacks. These devices were allegedly meant to explode at midnight on New Year’s Eve at multiple locations. Although officials did not name the specific companies targeted, they described the sites as logistics centers, with at least five planned targets across Los Angeles and Orange counties.
According to court documents, the plot was detailed in an eight-page handwritten plan titled “Operation Midnight Sun,” written by Carroll in late November. The document reportedly explained how the group would split into teams, place the explosive-filled backpacks, and monitor police activity using scanners. The plan also included instructions on how to build the bombs and avoid leaving evidence behind. Carroll allegedly admitted in the planning notes that the attack would be considered an act of terrorism.
Investigators say the suspects communicated through an encrypted messaging app in a group chat called the “Order of the Black Lotus,” which they described as a radical faction of TILF. The group allegedly gathered bomb-making materials and traveled to a remote area of the Mojave Desert on December 12 to build and test the devices.
FBI agents arrested the suspects while they were allegedly assembling the explosives. Officials said the group had begun setting up equipment, unloading materials, and preparing bomb components when agents intervened, stopping the plot before any functional device was completed.
During a search of Carroll’s residence, investigators reportedly found materials and posters linked to TILF, including signs with violent anti-government messages.
FBI Director Kash Patel also announced that a fifth person believed to be connected to the group was arrested in New Orleans in connection with a separate alleged violent plot.
If convicted, the four defendants could face up to five years in prison for conspiracy and up to ten years for possession of an unregistered destructive device. Authorities emphasized that a criminal complaint is only an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with help from local and federal law enforcement agencies across California and other states. Officials said the arrests helped prevent what could have been a deadly attack during a busy holiday celebration