Officials say the plan targeted multiple logistics hubs across Los Angeles and Orange counties with midnight blasts.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Federal authorities said Monday they stopped a coordinated bombing plot aimed at several Southern California companies on New Year’s Eve, arresting four suspects after an explosives test in the Mojave Desert and seizing materials used to build improvised bombs.
The Justice Department said the case is in its early charging stage, but investigators believe the group intended to strike five or more logistics centers in the Los Angeles region at midnight on Dec. 31. Officials identified the defendants as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. All were taken into custody late last week and appeared in federal court Monday. Authorities described the suspects as tied to a far-left, anti-government network and said more charges could follow as evidence is processed.
According to court filings summarized by prosecutors, the investigation accelerated after agents tracked a small group to open desert near Twentynine Palms on Fri., Dec. 12, where they allegedly tested explosive mixtures. Agents recovered PVC pipes, potassium nitrate, sulfur powder and charcoal — components consistent with improvised explosive devices — along with timers and backpack frames. At separate locations searched later, investigators said they collected handwritten plans and digital chats discussing synchronized blasts. “This was organized and already in motion,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said at a Los Angeles news conference.
Officials said the suspects communicated in an encrypted chat and referenced a splinter circle they called the “Order of the Black Lotus.” Prosecutors allege Carroll drafted an eight-page plan detailing routes, roles and a schedule for placing backpack devices at distribution facilities modeled on large “Amazon-type” hubs. Authorities have not named the companies, citing continuing security concerns. FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis said agents intervened after the desert test to “prevent a mass-casualty event,” adding that no explosives detonated in public and no injuries were reported. The group also discussed future attacks on immigration enforcement personnel in 2026, according to investigators.
The arrests occurred without incident on Dec. 12, authorities said. Prosecutors filed initial counts of conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device, with detention hearings expected later this week. The defendants were expected to be transferred to federal custody in downtown Los Angeles following their first appearances. Investigators said they are analyzing phones, laptops and chemicals seized from homes and vehicles in multiple Southern California locations and are coordinating with bomb technicians to conduct safe destruction of materials not needed as evidence.
Authorities emphasized that the case involves domestic extremism allegations rather than a foreign-directed plot. Officials described the accused group as anti-capitalist, anti-government and supportive of pro-Palestinian causes but said they have not charged any broader organization. Records tied to the case indicate the plan called for simultaneous detonations to maximize disruption around the holiday, with reconnaissance allegedly conducted at facilities in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The timeline sketched by prosecutors puts the first planning notes in November, the desert test on Dec. 12 and the public announcement of arrests on Dec. 15.
The Justice Department said it is working with the Department of Homeland Security, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to assess whether any sites need temporary security adjustments before the holiday. Officials said they have notified the unnamed companies and are reviewing camera footage and purchase records to trace components recovered at the desert site. It remains unknown whether any additional people assisted the suspects, and investigators did not say how the group allegedly acquired certain chemicals. “We’re still following the evidence,” Davis said.
Neighbors at one search location in the Inland Empire described a heavy law enforcement presence over the weekend and agents carrying out boxes marked “electronics” and “powders.” At the downtown briefing, Essayli called the plan “sophisticated,” while Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna thanked federal partners for moving “before anyone got hurt.” A logistics driver waiting outside a South Bay warehouse Monday afternoon said workers had heard about the arrests: “People are rattled but grateful it got stopped,” he said, declining to give his name because he was not authorized to speak for his employer.
As of Monday evening, all four defendants remained in federal custody. A detention hearing was tentatively set for later this week, with preliminary proceedings to follow. Prosecutors said a fuller affidavit will be unsealed after investigators complete initial interviews and lab reviews. Officials said they plan to provide another update before the holiday if there are material developments.
Author note: Last updated December 15, 2025.