Federal authorities announced Monday that they dismantled a dangerous domestic terror scheme just in time to prevent coordinated bombings across Southern California on New Year’s Eve. The FBI arrested four individuals in the Mojave Desert who were caught testing homemade explosives, with a fifth suspect taken into custody in New Orleans for a linked violent plan.
The group operated as a radical splinter from the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an anti-government outfit pushing pro-Palestinian causes alongside calls to dismantle capitalism and target law enforcement. Officials described the plot as targeting logistics facilities tied to interstate commerce, with devices set to detonate simultaneously at midnight on December 31.
Arrested in Lucerne Valley on December 12 were Audrey Ilene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. They face charges of conspiracy and possession of unregistered destructive devices. Prosecutors say Carroll and Page spearheaded the effort, recruiting others and assembling pipe bombs using materials bought discreetly.
“What we are doing will be considered a terrorist act,” Carroll reportedly stated in communications.
The suspects took elaborate steps to evade detection, including wearing full black clothing, using burner phones, gloves, and even altering their walks with pebbles in their shoes. They communicated via encrypted apps under codenames and discussed surveillance risks.
Posters found at one residence read “Death to America, Long Live Turtle Island and Palestine” and “Death to ICE, Turtle Island Liberation Front.”
Plans extended beyond New Year’s Eve, with discussions of follow-up attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles in early 2026. “Would take some of them out and scare the rest,” one message noted about targeting ICE.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called it a “massive and horrific terror plot” involving a “far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group.” She added: “This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the @FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace. We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice.”
FBI Director Kash Patel credited the operation with saving lives, noting the group’s ideology drove them to reject peaceful protest in favor of “direct action.”
The investigation drew on a confidential source who received the group’s handwritten manifesto, titled “OPERATION MIDNIGHT SUN,” detailing bomb construction and targets.
Prosecutors plan additional charges as evidence review continues. The case stems from broader efforts to counter domestic threats, including those from far-left networks that have escalated rhetoric into violence.
Americans owe a debt to the agents who stopped this attack before it could claim innocent lives or disrupt order. Vigilance against radical elements bent on chaos remains essential to protecting the nation.