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FBI charges 4 in New Year's Eve bombings plot in Los Angeles

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Published  December 23, 2025 1:04pm PST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 11
New Year's Eve bombing plot stopped, FBI says

New Year's Eve bombing plot stopped, FBI says

The FBI says investigators have stopped four people from executing their alleged terror attacks centered around New Year's Eve celebrations.

The Brief

    • Four members of an anti-government group were indicted on federal terrorism charges for an alleged plot to bomb Southern California businesses on New Year’s Eve.
    • The group, known as the "Turtle Island Liberation Front," reportedly tested explosives in the Mojave Desert and planned to target tech companies and ICE agents.
    • All four defendants are in custody without bond and face decades to life in prison; their arraignments are scheduled for throughout January in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES - A federal grand jury has returned a six-count indictment against four members of an anti-government group for allegedly plotting a series of New Year’s Eve bombings in Southern California.

What we know:

The suspects are identified as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, and Dante James Anthony-Gaffield, 24, both of South Los Angeles; Zachary Aaron Page, 32, of Torrance; and Tina Lai, 41, of Glendale. 

According to the indictment, the four are members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an anti-capitalist and anti-government group. 

Carroll and Page face additional charges of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.

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The indictment also notes specific messages sent between the defendants. 

On November 29, Page allegedly messaged, "death to Israel, death to the USA, death to colonizers, death to settler-coloniasm [sic]." 

Carroll reportedly responded, "Death to them all, burn it all down [three emojis of a burning heart]."

Regarding future attacks on ICE agents, the indictment states the group intended to "take some of them out and scare the rest of them."

Federal authorities allege the group operated a radical faction called the "Order of the Black Lotus," communicating through encrypted messages. 

A handwritten document titled "Operation Midnight Sun" reportedly detailed plans to "completely pulverize" technology and logistics companies across Southern California. 

The plot also included future plans to target United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles with firearms and pipe bombs.

Timeline:

  • November 2025: Carroll allegedly drafted the eight-page "Operation Midnight Sun" bombing plot and recruited the other three defendants.
  • November 29, 2025: Page and Carroll allegedly exchanged messages on an encrypted app calling for the destruction of the United States.
  • Early December 2025: The defendants procured bomb-making materials, including potassium nitrate, sulfur, charcoal, and pipes.
  • December 12, 2025: The group traveled to the Mojave Desert to build and test explosives. The FBI arrested them at the scene before they could complete functional devices.
  • January 2026: Scheduled arraignments begin in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

What they're saying:

"The charges a federal grand jury returned today reflect the seriousness of the conduct: a planned terrorist attack on American soil on New Year’s Eve," said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. 

"If convicted, this group of self-professed left-wing radicals will face decades in federal prison. We will continue to investigate and prosecute any and all terror groups and bring them to justice."

What's next:

The suspects remain in federal custody without bond. 

Tina Lai is scheduled for arraignment on January 2, 2026, followed by Audrey Illeene Carroll and Zachary Aaron Page on January 5, 2026. 

Dante James Anthony-Gaffield’s arraignment is set for January 20, 2026.

If convicted, Carroll and Page face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. 

Gaffield and Lai face a statutory maximum of 25 years. 

The Source: This report is based on information from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.

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