WASHINGTON, D.C. - Federal authorities say they just stopped a coordinated domestic terror plot targeting Southern California set to unfold on New Year's Eve, as reported by the New York Post.
On December 12, five suspects were arrested by the FBI in connection to the plot. Authorities described the group as members of an “anti-capitalist, anti-government” extremist organization calling themselves the Order of the Black Lotus.
According to investigators, the Order operated as a splinter group of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, a known far-left terror organization that openly advocates for violence against law enforcement, including Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
All five suspects have been charged in connection with a coordinated plan to carry out a series of bombings across the Los Angeles area. The FBI described the threat as “credible and imminent,” with potential targets including logistics centers operated by several unidentified companies.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, authorities were tipped off when members of the group shared an eight-page handwritten manifesto with a confidential FBI source.
The manifesto included detailed plans for “Operation Midnight Sun,” which would involve bombings across several specific targets across the greater Los Angeles area.
The primary New Year’s Eve targets were logistics centers and facilities operated by companies engaged in interstate and foreign commerce in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Officials did not publicly name the companies, but emphasized that the sites were chosen for their economic and symbolic value.
Court records state that four of the suspects were arrested in Lucerne Valley, California, where they were allegedly caught testing improvised explosive devices in the Mojave Desert.
Prosecutors identified the four suspects arrested in California as Audrey Ilene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. Investigators also said Carroll and Page acted as the group’s main organizers and handled much of the planning through encrypted Signal chats.
The fifth suspect was taken into custody separately in New Orleans, where authorities say that individual was planning a related attack. As of writing, this suspect has not been publicly identified and authorities have not released any additional details surrounding the New Orleans plot.
The arrests come roughly three weeks prior to the attack was set to be carried out.
Federal officials said the group had already started building what they described as “complex pipe bombs” using homemade gunpowder and materials that are easy to buy.
In those conversations, members used aliases and discussed steps like using burner phones, paying in cash, wearing gloves, and disguising their appearance in an attempt to avoid being identified.
The complaint states that Carroll allegedly purchased PVC pipes and large amounts of chemical components through burner accounts while other members openly discussed the possibility that the FBI was watching them and tried to change their behavior to avoid detection, discussing steps like using burner phones, paying in cash, wearing gloves, and disguising their appearance to avoid being identified.
Investigators say the group’s communications gave authorities enough evidence to shut the plot down before any explosives were used.
Investigators say members also discussed follow-on attacks targeting ICE agents and ICE vehicles in early 2026, with the stated goal of killing officers and intimidating the rest. Those discussions were documented in the same encrypted chats and writings that ultimately helped federal agents piece the plot together.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the group behind the foiled New Year’s Eve plot was preparing to carry out a coordinated series of attacks across California, including plans to target federal law enforcement.
In an X post on Monday, Bondi had this to say:
“The Turtle Island Liberation Front — a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group — was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve,” Bondi said, adding that “the group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles.”
“This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace. We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice.”
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