Federal authorities said Monday they arrested four people in Southern California accused of planning coordinated bomb attacks across Los Angeles on New Year's Eve, disrupting what officials described as an imminent threat.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that the Justice Department and the FBI "prevented what would have been a massive and horrific terror plot in the Central District of California," which includes Los Angeles and Orange County.
"The Turtle Island Liberation Front—a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group—was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year's Eve," said Bondi, adding that the group "also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles."
After an intense investigation, the Department of Justice, working with our @FBI, prevented what would have been a massive and horrific terror plot in the Central District of California (Orange County and Los Angeles).
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) December 15, 2025
The Turtle Island Liberation Front—a far-left,…
FBI Director Kash Patel echoed Bondi's message through his X account saying the suspects were allegedly preparing "coordinated IED bombing attacks" targeting five locations across Los Angeles on Dec. 31.
Over the weekend, the @FBI disrupted a credible, imminent terrorist threat and arrested FOUR individuals connected to the Los Angeles area.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) December 15, 2025
The subjects self-identified as members of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an extremist group motivated by… pic.twitter.com/81NfM1Mvwi
The four suspects — identified by the Justice Department as Audrey Ilene Carroll, Dante Garfield, Zachary Aaron Page, and Tina Lai — are alleged members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, which federal officials described as a far-left group with pro-Palestinian, anti-government and anti-law-enforcement views, as CBS News points out. Patel said a fifth person linked to the group was arrested separately in New Orleans and was allegedly planning another violent attack.
According to a federal court complaint, three of the suspects planned to place backpacks containing improvised explosive devices at assigned locations. The complaint says the devices were intended to be complex pipe bombs and that the plan included detailed instructions on operational security, such as the use of burner phones, removing clothing after the attacks, and setting up streaming movies as alibis.
Investigators allege the group used the encrypted messaging app Signal to coordinate, including a group chat titled "Order of the Black Lotus." The complaint says Carroll provided a list of materials, chemicals and tools needed to construct the explosives, along with estimated costs.
On December 12, the group allegedly traveled to the Mojave Desert to assemble and test explosive devices. An FBI bomb technician later determined that the components found at the campsite could be used to build improvised explosive devices and Molotov cocktails, and that the materials were readily assemblable.
"This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace," added Bondi on her X post. "We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice."
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