Prosecutors say the suspects practiced with bomb-making materials in the Mojave Desert and planned synchronized blasts at multiple business sites.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Federal authorities said Monday they arrested four people accused of plotting coordinated bombings across Southern California on New Year’s Eve, moving in as the group rehearsed in the Mojave Desert and before any working explosive device was assembled.
Officials said the case involves an extremist offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front and a plan to hit several locations tied to two U.S. companies at midnight on Dec. 31. The arrests were announced by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli alongside FBI leaders and Los Angeles police. The defendants—identified in a criminal complaint as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41—face conspiracy and destructive-device charges as the investigation continues.
Authorities said agents arrested the four on Friday in a remote stretch near Twentynine Palms after surveillance teams watched them move a large object to a table and lay out components. “They had everything they needed to make an operational bomb at that location,” Essayli said at a news conference in Los Angeles. Investigators displayed aerial footage and photos from the campsite. The alleged plan—laid out in an eight-page handwritten document titled “Operation Midnight Sun”—called for placing backpacks packed with complex pipe bombs at five or more sites and triggering them at the stroke of midnight as fireworks masked the sound, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said the group communicated on an encrypted messaging app and met in person to assign roles. The complaint describes purchases of precursor chemicals and supplies, including PVC pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, sulfur and fuse materials. Officials said “Free Palestine” flyers were recovered at the campsite. At Carroll’s residence, investigators reported finding posters tied to the group; at Page’s home, they said they seized a copy of the detailed attack plan. Agents said the targets were facilities operated by two companies involved in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce. The companies were not named. Authorities said there is no indication that any device was completed before the arrests. Defense lawyers either could not be reached or did not return messages Monday.
Investigators said the plan aimed to exploit New Year’s Eve crowds and noise to delay detection. The complaint quotes a note in the plan stating that midnight was chosen because “fireworks will be going off at this time so explosions will be less likely to be noticed.” Officials said two members also discussed potential future attacks in 2026 that would target Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles with pipe bombs. The FBI’s Los Angeles field office led the operation with support from local police and federal prosecutors. “The successful disruption of this plot is a powerful testament to the strength of our unified response,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said.
The arrests come amid heightened security planning for New Year’s events across the region. Authorities said the four suspects are from the Los Angeles area and were tracked for weeks as the handwritten plan took shape last month. The document, according to officials, listed multiple locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties and left room to add more sites. The plan included instructions on avoiding forensic traces and destroying evidence. Officials said the group’s rhetoric in chats echoed anti-capitalist and anti-government themes referenced in the complaint, as well as calls for decolonization that the broader group has posted publicly under the Turtle Island name.
Monday’s announcement was led by Essayli and the FBI’s assistant director in charge for Los Angeles, Akil Davis, who credited interagency coordination for stopping the alleged plot before explosives were built. Authorities would not discuss the source of their information or whether any undercover assets were used. They also declined to detail the unnamed companies or specify exact addresses, citing the ongoing investigation. Court records did not list attorneys for all four defendants by Monday afternoon. No injuries were reported, and officials said there is no continuing threat to the public tied to the case.
Each defendant was booked on federal charges of conspiracy and possession of a destructive device. Additional counts are possible as lab testing confirms the materials recovered from the desert. Initial court appearances in Los Angeles federal court were expected early this week, with detention hearings to follow. Investigators said search warrants remain under seal and more warrants may be executed. Officials said evidence—including the handwritten plan, chemicals, and digital communications—will be presented to a grand jury after the holidays, with an indictment decision expected in January.
At the desert site, plastic folding tables were strewn with chemicals, pipes and fuse material, according to photos cited in the complaint. Essayli said teams seized enough components to build multiple devices if the plan had progressed. The FBI said the plotters deliberately picked New Year’s Eve to stretch police resources and confuse noise sensors. “The charges made public today show we disrupted a dangerous New Year’s Eve plot to simultaneously target two U.S. companies with multiple explosive devices,” FBI leaders said in a separate statement released after the briefing.
Neighbors near two searched locations in Los Angeles County described seeing unmarked vehicles and agents carrying boxes Sunday night. “We saw lights and a lot of agents going in and out,” said Maria Flores, who lives down the block from one of the residences linked to the suspects. At the news conference, Essayli said the case remains active and asked anyone with information about related activity to contact investigators. He offered no timeline for naming the companies or releasing the full search affidavits.
As of late Tuesday, all four defendants remained in federal custody pending initial hearings. Prosecutors said they will update charging documents as forensic testing of powders and digital devices is completed. Authorities plan to release a redacted complaint exhibit list by Friday and hold a short status briefing after the first court appearance. A preliminary hearing date will be set if a grand jury has not returned an indictment by mid-January.
Author note: Last updated December 16, 2025.