Los Angeles, CA. — Federal authorities have arrested four members of what officials described as a far-left, anti-capitalist and anti-government extremist group accused of plotting to carry out improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on New Year’s Eve.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the defendants are linked to the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), a group authorities say promotes anti-government and anti-capitalist ideology and has advocated violence against U.S. officials online. Prosecutors allege the group planned coordinated bombings targeting two U.S. companies in the greater Los Angeles area at midnight on New Year’s Eve, with additional plans to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the arrests disrupted a serious domestic terrorism threat. “This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace,” Bondi said, adding that federal authorities will continue pursuing groups that plan violence.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspects had acquired bomb-making materials, communicated using encrypted platforms, and planned to test explosive devices in the Mojave Desert to evade detection. “Thanks to the FBI and our partners, those efforts failed,” Patel said.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg emphasized that political extremism does not excuse violence. “This country protects the right to hold extreme views,” Eisenberg said, “but violence is an unmistakable and enforceable line.”
The defendants — Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, also known as Asiginaak, of South Los Angeles; Zachary Aaron Page, 32, also known as AK, of Torrance; Dante Gaffield, 24, also known as Nomad, of South Los Angeles; and Tina Lai, 41, also known as Kickwhere, of Glendale — were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert. They are charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Court filings allege Carroll authored an eight-page handwritten plan titled “Operation Midnight Sun,” which outlined the use of backpack bombs and included instructions for constructing “complex pipe bombs” and avoiding forensic detection. Investigators say Carroll acknowledged the plot would be considered a terrorist act.
Authorities allege the group took substantial steps toward carrying out the plan, including traveling to a remote desert location on December 12 to assemble and test explosive components. FBI agents intervened before any functional device was completed.
If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to 10 years for possession of an unregistered destructive device. They are scheduled to make their initial court appearances in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
The investigation is being led by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with assistance from multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies. Officials emphasized that a criminal complaint is an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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