Federal law enforcement officials announced Monday the successful disruption of what prosecutors described as a “massive and horrific terror plot” targeting Southern California on New Year’s Eve. Four suspects were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert near Twentynine Palms while allegedly preparing improvised explosive devices.
The coordinated operation prevented what authorities said could have resulted in multiple deaths and severe injuries to workers at targeted logistics facilities.
Four Suspects Charged
Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41 all face federal charges of conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
All four suspects are from the Los Angeles area and were arrested without incident on December 13, 2025. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated that additional charges are expected to be filed against the group as the investigation continues.
The Turtle Island Liberation Front
Prosecutors identified the suspects as members of a radical faction of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, described as an anti-capitalist, anti-government, and pro-Palestinian extremist organization.
The group, which operates online and offline, advocates for “the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism.” The TILF reportedly rejects peaceful protest, arguing that “direct action is the only way” to achieve their ideological goals.
Operation Midnight Sun
Carroll allegedly created a detailed eight-page handwritten plan titled “Operation Midnight Sun” in November 2025 that outlined simultaneous bombings at five or more logistics company locations across Southern California and Orange County. The plan specified midnight on New Year’s Eve as the detonation time, reasoning that fireworks would mask the explosions.
The document included step-by-step instructions for constructing bombs and methods to avoid leaving traceable evidence.
Targets and Logistics
Authorities identified two “Amazon-type” logistics companies engaged in interstate and foreign commerce as the primary targets, though specific company names were not publicly disclosed for security reasons.
Officials described the plot as a coordinated, multi-site operation designed to maximize disruption to supply chains during peak holiday shopping season. The backpack-mounted improvised explosive devices were intended to explode simultaneously to compound economic damage and casualties.
Bomb-Making Materials Seized
FBI agents discovered extensive bomb-making materials at the desert campsite, including various sizes of PVC pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, charcoal powder, sulfur powder, fuses, and other components.
Surveillance footage showed suspects unloading materials from vehicles and assembling components under a tent shielded from sunlight. Agents intervened before defendants could assemble a functional explosive device, preventing any completed weapons from being constructed.
Leadership and Recruitment
Carroll and Page allegedly led efforts to obtain and build the bombs while recruiting additional conspirators to the plot. Carroll also managed the group’s Instagram account, which she used to meet co-conspirators and promote radical ideology.
The defendants formed a Signal encrypted messaging group called “Order of the Black Lotus,” which they designated as the “radical” faction of TILF and used to coordinate bomb plot details and logistics.
Social Media and Propaganda
The TILF Instagram account, “The Turtle Liberation,” publicly advocated violence against U.S. officials and contained posts calling for revolution and armed action. The account featured slogans including “Death to America” and “Long Live Palestine.”
Search warrants at Carroll’s residence uncovered posters reading “Death to ICE” and “Death to America, Long Live Turtle Island & Palestine,” establishing motive and ideological commitment to the conspiracy.
Secondary Targets and Future Plans
Beyond the New Year’s Eve bombing plot, Carroll and Page allegedly discussed plans to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and their vehicles with pipe bombs in 2026.
According to court complaints, Carroll stated such an attack “would take some of them out and scare the rest of them.” These discussions occurred both during in-person meetings in Los Angeles and through encrypted messaging applications.
Law Enforcement Intervention
FBI agents placed the group under surveillance and deployed a confidential human source to monitor communications and gather evidence. The agency utilized aerial surveillance footage to document suspects transporting bomb-making materials to the desert testing site.
When agents determined that functional bomb assembly was imminent, FBI personnel intervened and arrested all four defendants, preventing execution of the alleged terror plot.
Online Radicalization and Recruitment
Investigators identified social media posts amplifying anger over Gaza, domestic policing, and U.S. support for Israel as key radicalization vectors. The group’s online presence portrayed these grievances as justification for “direct action” against American institutions.
Authorities found that encrypted communications between suspects progressively escalated from ideological discussions to operational bomb-plot planning and coordination.
The “Order of the Black Lotus”
The encrypted Signal group designated as the “Order of the Black Lotus” served as the primary coordination channel for the four defendants and additional conspirators. Members used coded language and aliases: Carroll as “Asiginaak,” Page as “AK,” Gaffield as “Nomad,” and Lai as “Kickwhere.”
The messaging platform allowed them to discuss bomb construction, target selection, and operational security while evading traditional surveillance methods.
Multi-State Network Expansion
FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a fifth suspect linked to the Turtle Island Liberation Front was arrested in New Orleans for allegedly planning a separate violent attack unrelated to the California operation.
This arrest suggests the network extended beyond Southern California, indicating broader ambitions and geographic reach. Investigators are probing connections between the California and Louisiana cells and potential higher-level leadership structures.
Precursor Chemicals and Equipment Acquisition
Court documents indicate the suspects recently acquired precursor chemicals and operational materials, including purchases from Amazon to avoid raising suspicion with bulk industrial purchases.
FBI agents observed Page obtaining packages from an Amazon location in Carson, California, approximately 15 minutes before he notified co-conspirators of successful acquisitions. Such supply chain management indicates deliberate operational planning and coordination.
Potential Loss of Life
Federal prosecutors emphasized that simultaneous midnight explosions at working logistics facilities could have caused significant deaths and severe injuries to employees and nearby residents.
Many New Year’s Eve night-shift workers, including security staff, drivers, and warehouse employees, typically remain on-site during holiday operations. One official stated that “many people could have been killed,” underscoring the operational scope and lethality of the alleged plot.
Security Response and Enhanced Protocols
In response to the foiled plot, logistics firms in Southern California have quietly reviewed access controls, surveillance coverage, and employee screening protocols for the holiday period. Local law enforcement agencies increased coordination with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Authorities indicated they are re-examining past security incidents and threatening communications for possible connections to TILF or similar extremist networks.
Federal Holiday Security Measures
Authorities announced they expect heightened security around New Year’s Eve 2025 and subsequent mass gatherings in Los Angeles and New Orleans. Enhanced measures may include increased visible federal presence, tighter access restrictions at industrial sites, and expanded social media monitoring.
Officials stated they will balance security concerns against public enjoyment of celebrations while remaining vigilant against emerging domestic terror threats.
Legal Charges and Penalties
The four defendants each face federal charges of conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device, carrying potential sentences of decades in prison if convicted. Prosecutors must prove the defendants knowingly joined a conspiracy to bomb U.S. companies on New Year’s Eve and possessed complex improvised explosive devices in furtherance of that conspiracy.
Defense attorneys are expected to challenge evidence from surveillance, online postings, and alleged bomb-testing activities.
Counterterrorism Implications
Federal counterterrorism experts note that small-cell bomb plots using concealed devices remain challenging to detect early, emphasizing the importance of online monitoring, informants, and surveillance around remote testing sites.
The case highlights how quickly radicalized groups can transition from online agitation to operational planning. Specialists caution that ideology-driven groups can regenerate rapidly when grievances regarding foreign conflicts and economic inequality persist.
Ongoing Political and Civil Liberties Debate
The arrests have sparked polarizing national debate over U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine, police funding, and protest tactics. Some lawmakers have seized on the case to demand tougher penalties for domestic terrorism and expanded surveillance powers.
Civil liberties groups, while condemning any planned violence, warn against using a single extremist plot to stigmatize broader pro-Palestinian or anti-capitalist movements and activism.
Sources:
“Four Defendants Arrested for Alleged Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Government Plot to Bomb U.S. Companies.” U.S. Department of Justice, Central District of California, December 2025.
“FBI Foils New Year’s Eve Bomb Plot Targeting Southern California Logistics Sites.” Reuters, December 2025.
“Four Charged in Alleged New Year’s Eve Terror Plot in Southern California.” Associated Press, December 2025.
“Federal Authorities Disrupt Coordinated Bombing Plot Ahead of New Year’s Eve.” U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, December 2025.