(KTLA) — Federal officials announced Monday that an extensive, multi-agency investigation successfully stopped a terrorist plot targeting several locations across Southern California.
The Department of Justice and the FBI said their investigation “prevented what would have been a massive and horrific plot in the Central District of California,” according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. She noted that the Central District includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.
Bondi identified the group behind the alleged plan as the Turtle Island Liberation Front, describing it as “far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist.”
According to Bondi, the group was planning a “series of bombings” at multiple California locations on New Year’s Eve. The plot also allegedly included targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles.
“This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace,” Bondi said. “We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said authorities disrupted a “credible, imminent threat” with the arrests of four people in the Los Angeles area. A fifth suspect was arrested separately by the FBI’s New Orleans office.
Patel said the suspects were members of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front motivated by pro-Palestinian, anti-law-enforcement, and anti-government ideology. He said they were allegedly planning coordinated improvised explosive device attacks on New Year’s Eve at five locations across Los Angeles.
The individual arrested in New Orleans is believed to be linked to the subgroup and was allegedly planning a separate attack, Patel added.
“Outstanding work by our investigators and law enforcement partners with the Justice Department,” Patel said. “Their actions undoubtedly saved countless lives.”
At a Monday press conference, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli identified the four Los Angeles-area suspects as:
Audrey Carroll, 30
Zachary Aaron Page, 32
Dante Gaffield, 24
Tina Lai, 41
All four face charges of conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Essayli said Carroll allegedly organized the more radical faction of the group, known as the “Order of the Black Lotus,” and created a detailed plan to attack five or more locations on New Year’s Eve. He said Carroll and Page led efforts to build explosive devices and recruit others.
FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director Akil Davis said the four suspects were arrested near Twentynine Palms on Friday while they were planning and rehearsing the attack.
“The subjects envisioned planting backpacks containing improvised explosive devices at multiple locations in Southern California,” Davis said. “The plan was to detonate the devices simultaneously at midnight on New Year’s Eve.”
Authorities showed video during the press conference that allegedly depicted the group testing explosive materials in the desert on Dec. 12. Davis said the footage showed precursor chemicals and components being assembled. The video was captured by a surveillance aircraft, and the suspects were arrested shortly afterward without incident by the FBI and a Los Angeles-based SWAT team.
Officials did not name the companies that were allegedly targeted, but Essayli said the locations included at least five “Amazon-type logistics centers” in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
“They were willing and wanting to do more if they could recruit additional members,” Essayli said.
He added that while investigators believe the five arrested individuals were directly involved in the New Year’s Eve plot, additional search warrants have been executed and evidence remains under review.
“If we determine others knew about the plot or provided assistance, we will charge them as well,” Essayli said.
Essayli also explained that the suspect arrested in New Orleans was not directly tied to the New Year’s Eve plan but posed a significant threat to agents serving a search warrant.
The investigation and arrests were conducted as part of the FBI’s Operation Verdant Force.
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