Federal authorities revealed on Monday that a scheme to bomb multiple U.S. companies in Southern California on New Year’s Eve was thwarted, leading to the apprehension of members affiliated with an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government faction. The arrests of the four suspects took place on Friday while they were experimenting with explosives in the desert east of Los Angeles, as stated by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli at a press briefing. Surveilled aerial footage exhibited the suspects transporting a large black object in the desert shortly before being apprehended.
The individuals identified in the criminal complaint are Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, all hailing from the Los Angeles vicinity, according to Essayli. While authorities did not disclose a specific motive, they confirmed that the suspects are affiliated with a faction of a pro-Palestinian group known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front.
Charges including conspiracy and possession of a destructive device have been levied against each suspect, with Essayli mentioning the likelihood of additional charges in the upcoming weeks. The group, led by Carroll, had formulated an elaborate plan to bomb multiple locations in Southern California on New Year’s Eve, particularly targeting companies akin to “Amazon-type” logistical centers, Essayli elaborated.
In discussions held both in person in Los Angeles and through an encrypted messaging platform, the group members contemplated future attacks, including the targeting of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and their vehicles with pipe bombs in 2026. Plans included planting backpacks laden with explosive devices at various businesses to detonate simultaneously at midnight on New Year’s Eve, as per officials and the criminal complaint.
The suspects had amassed bomb-making materials at a desert campsite, with evidence photos revealing items such as PVC pipes, potassium nitrate, charcoal, sulfur powder, and other components strewn across tables. The plan detailed complex pipe bombs to be concealed in backpacks, emphasizing instructions on manufacturing and evading detection, with the suspects procuring precursor chemicals and related items in recent times.
Rehearsals for the attack and testing of devices were conducted in the desert near Twentynine Palms, California, before federal authorities intervened. Search warrants executed at the suspects’ residences unveiled incriminating evidence, with Carroll’s home housing posters advocating violence against America and ICE, and a detailed bomb plan found at Page’s residence.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell underscored the collaborative efforts of federal and local agencies in thwarting the plot, emphasizing the protection of residents despite differing stances on immigration policies. The suspects, apprehended without resistance, were slated to appear in a Los Angeles court on Monday afternoon.