Federal Agents Arrest Four in Major New Year's Eve Bomb Plot

Desert Arrests Prevent Coordinated Attack

Federal authorities disrupted what could have been a devastating New Year's Eve terror attack, arresting four members of an extremist group as they prepared to test explosive devices in the California desert. The suspects were arrested last week in Lucerne Valley, a desert city east of Los Angeles, where they were suspected of preparing to test improvised explosive devices ahead of the planned bombings . Authorities said the group "had everything they needed to make an operational bomb at that location" .

The suspects are members of an offshoot of a pro-Palestinian group dubbed the Turtle Island Liberation Front , which calls for decolonization, tribal sovereignty and "the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism" . The term "Turtle Island" is used by some Indigenous peoples to describe North America in a way that reflects its existence outside of the colonial boundaries put in place by the U.S. and Canada, coming from Indigenous creation stories where the continent was formed on the back of a giant turtle .

The suspects "all brought bomb-making components to the campsite, including various sizes of PVC pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, charcoal powder, sulfur powder, and material to be used as fuses, among others" . The members were using the encrypted messaging platform Signal, with their group chat titled "Order of the Black Lotus" .

Detailed Attack Plan Revealed

In late November 2025, one suspect provided an eight-page handwritten document titled "Operation Midnight Sun," which described a bombing plot calling for backpacks with bombs to be simultaneously detonated at five or more locations targeting two U.S. companies at midnight on New Year's Eve in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area . Officials declined to name the companies but described them as "Amazon-type" logistical centers .

The plan "included step-by-step instructions to build IEDs... and listed multiple targets across Orange County and Los Angeles," with backpacks filled with complex pipe bombs set to be detonated simultaneously at midnight . The complaint alleges that the four involved in the plot were not attempting to kill people, and if they saw anyone in the area of their bombs, they would try and warn them .

Beyond the corporate targets, the group also planned to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles . Authorities found posters for the Turtle Island Liberation Front at one suspect's home that called for "Death to America" and "Death to ICE" , while "Free Palestine" flyers were found at the desert campsite where the suspects were working with bomb-making materials .

Broader Network Under Investigation

The four suspects are Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, all from the Los Angeles area . All four defendants have been charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device, with additional charges expected in coming weeks .

FBI Director Kash Patel revealed that agents in New Orleans made a fifth arrest with a possible connection to the Los Angeles plot, with the individual "believed to be linked to this radical TILF subgroup – also allegedly planning a separate violent attack" . This suggests the investigation may extend beyond Southern California.

The successful disruption of this plot demonstrates the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces from domestic extremist groups with diverse ideological motivations. The Turtle Island Liberation Front appears to be a relatively small organization, with its Instagram account having fewer than 900 followers and its Facebook page followed by just 32 users , yet it allegedly posed a significant threat to public safety during one of the year's most celebrated holidays.