On Monday, federal officials announced that they thwarted a plan to detonate explosives at various U.S. companies on New Year’s Eve in Southern California, revealing the arrests of individuals linked to an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government faction.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, stated during a press briefing that the four suspects were apprehended on Friday while they were testing explosive devices in a desert area east of Los Angeles.
Authorities presented journalists with aerial surveillance footage showing the four suspects transporting a large black object to a table in the desert just before their arrest.
The criminal complaint identifies the suspects as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, all of whom are residents of the Los Angeles region, according to Essayli.
While officials did not disclose a specific motive, they indicated that the suspects are affiliated with a splinter group of a pro-Palestinian organization called the Turtle Island Liberation Front.
Four individuals are facing criminal charges in Los Angeles related to what Attorney General Pam Bondi described as a disrupted bombing scheme targeting multiple locations, including U.S. immigration agents and their vehicles. Additionally, FBI Director Kash Patel announced via social media that a fifth suspect was arrested in New Orleans for allegedly planning a related but distinct violent act.
Each of the suspects is facing charges that include conspiracy and possession of a destructive device, with Essayli noting that further charges are anticipated in the upcoming weeks.
It remains unclear whether the suspects have legal representation, and The Associated Press was unable to contact their family members.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media that a fifth individual was arrested in New Orleans for allegedly plotting a connected yet separate violent attack.
‘Multiple targets’
Essayli revealed that Carroll devised a comprehensive plan last month to bomb five or more sites throughout Southern California on New Year’s Eve, intending to target various companies. He did not specify the names of the companies but characterized them as “Amazon-type” logistics hubs.
“Carroll’s bombing scheme was very detailed,” Essayli noted. “It included step-by-step directions for constructing IEDs and identified multiple targets across Orange County and Los Angeles.”
The strategy involved placing backpacks filled with explosive devices at several businesses, which were meant to detonate simultaneously at midnight on New Year’s Eve, according to authorities and the criminal complaint.
Additionally, members of the group discussed plans for future assaults targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and their vehicles with pipe bombs in 2026, as stated in the criminal complaint.
“Carroll indicated that some of those plans would quote ‘take some of them out and scare the rest,’” Essayli added.
Images of the four suspects displayed on a screen during a press briefing on Monday. (Damian Dovarganes/The Associated Press)
Discussions regarding the plans took place both in person with members in Los Angeles and via an encrypted messaging application, Essayli reported.
Photographic evidence included in the court filings illustrates a desert campsite with what investigators identified as bomb-making materials scattered across plastic folding tables.
According to the complaint, the suspects “all brought bomb-making components to the campsite, which included various sizes of PVC pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, charcoal powder, sulfur powder, and materials intended for use as fuses, among others.”
Rehearsed their attack in the desert
The plan specified that the backpacks would hold intricate pipe bombs and contained instructions for their construction, as well as methods to avoid leaving any evidence linking back to the group, officials indicated. The suspects had recently procured precursor chemicals and other necessary items, they added.
Last week, they were practicing their attack and testing devices in the desert near Twentynine Palms, California, just before federal authorities intervened, officials stated.
<p“They had everything necessary to create an operational bomb at that site,” he remarked.
Officials are seen in front of aerial images depicting the four suspects moving a large black object in the desert to a table shortly before their arrests. (Damian Dovarganes/The Associated Press)
Search warrants led authorities to discover posters supporting the Turtle Island Liberation Front at Carroll’s residence, which featured slogans like “Death to America” and “Death to ICE,” Essayli reported. Meanwhile, police found a copy of the elaborate bombing plan at Page’s home.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell stated that despite differing views between federal and local officials regarding the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions, they unite in their commitment to safeguarding residents. The LAPD does not detain individuals or take action based on immigration status and has not enforced immigration laws for 45 years.
“The successful prevention of this plot is a strong indication of our collaborative efforts,” McDonnell stated.
The suspects, who were apprehended without incident, were scheduled to appear in court in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.
