The FBI and Justice Department say they foiled an alleged plot to detonate simultaneous pipe bombs at two logistics centers in Los Angeles and Orange County on New Year’s Eve. Four people tied to the Turtle Island Liberation Front were arrested after surveillance recorded tests of explosive devices in the Mojave Desert, and a fifth suspect was arrested in Louisiana with weapons. All defendants face federal charges and additional counts may be filed as the investigation continues.
FBI Says New Year’s Eve Bomb Plot Foiled; Four Arrested In Southern California
Surveillance footage allegedly showing members of a far-left anti-government group preparing to construct and test bombs in the California desert, as released by the Justice Department on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. / Credit: Justice Department
Federal law enforcement officials say the FBI and Justice Department prevented an alleged New Year’s Eve bombing plot in Southern California and arrested four people connected to a group identified as the Turtle Island Liberation Front.
Arrests And Allegations
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the four defendants — Audrey Carroll, Zachary Page, Dante Gaffield and Tina Lai — were arrested Friday in San Bernardino County after surveillance footage showed them testing explosive devices in the Mojave Desert. Court filings allege they planned synchronized attacks on two logistics centers in Los Angeles and Orange County, aiming to detonate complex pipe bombs simultaneously at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Evidence And Charges
Prosecutors say a surveillance airplane recorded the suspects assembling bomb components on a table beneath a tent. An FBI affidavit states agents intervened before the defendants completed a functional device. All four face charges of conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device; federal officials said additional charges may be filed.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department and FBI "prevented what would have been a massive and horrific terror plot in the Central District of California." FBI Director Kash Patel identified the defendants as associated with the Turtle Island Liberation Front.
Related Arrest In Louisiana
A fifth person, Micah James Legnon, was arrested in Louisiana and charged with making threats in interstate commerce. Court papers say Legnon — a former U.S. Marine — was stopped on a highway carrying an assault rifle, a pistol, a gas canister and body armor; an affidavit says he intended to travel to New Orleans to carry out an attack.
Who Is The Turtle Island Liberation Front?
The group describes itself on social media as seeking "liberation of occupied Turtle Island" — a term some Indigenous peoples use for North America — and posts pro-Palestinian and anti-colonial messages. Its local social accounts appear small: the Los Angeles chapter’s Instagram had fewer than 900 followers and the group’s Facebook page showed only a few dozen followers as of the time of the reporting.
Context And Expert Commentary
The arrests come amid an administration focus on political violence. President Trump has directed a national strategy to investigate networks that foment political violence and signed an order labeling antifa a domestic terrorist organization, though antifa has no formal leadership. Michael Kenney, a University of Pittsburgh expert on high-risk activism, said the arrested individuals appear to be a splinter cell that escalated from activism to alleged violence, and that the broader movement includes many members not implicated in this plot.
Legal Note And Next Steps
Officials emphasize the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible. As with all criminal defendants, the individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
What Authorities Say Next: Prosecutors said evidence gathering, forensic analysis and potential additional indictments are likely to continue in the coming weeks.
