Federal authorities have thwarted what they describe as a major terrorist plot in Southern California, arresting alleged members of the radical Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF) just days before New Year’s Eve. According to the Department of Justice and multiple federal agencies, the group had been preparing to detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at five locations across Los Angeles on December 31, 2025, with the aim of causing chaos under the cover of fireworks and holiday festivities.
The four suspects—Audrey “Asiginaak” Carroll, Dante “Nomad” Garfield, Zachary “AK” Page, and Tina “Kickwhere” Lai—were apprehended over the weekend in Lucerne Valley, a desert community east of Los Angeles that authorities believe served as the group’s bomb-making and testing ground. Court documents reveal that the group, which espouses a blend of pro-Palestinian, anti-government, and anti-law-enforcement ideologies, was allegedly preparing for a coordinated attack that could have had devastating consequences for the city and its residents.
“This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday, as reported by Fox News. “We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice.” She further emphasized the seriousness of the threat, stating that authorities had prevented “a massive and horrific terror plot” in both Orange County and the greater Los Angeles area.
The criminal complaint, detailed by the Washington Examiner, describes how federal investigators found a desert campsite littered with bomb-making materials, including PVC pipes, potassium nitrate, charcoal powder, sulfur powder, and fuses. Evidence photos submitted to the court show the components strewn across the site, alongside pro-Palestinian posters and a handwritten plan for the operation, ominously dubbed “Operation Midnight Sun.”
According to the affidavit, the plan outlined not only the logistics of the attack but also steps for operational security. The alleged conspirators were instructed to use burner phones, destroy SIM cards, and even submerge the remains in concrete bricks before disposing of them in bodies of water—measures aimed at obscuring their identities and avoiding detection. The timing of the attack was no accident: “Fireworks will be going off at this time so explosions will be less likely to be noticed as immediately as any normal day,” the plan’s outline read.
In addition to the four suspects arrested in California, the FBI in New Orleans detained a fifth individual believed to be connected to TILF. This individual was allegedly plotting a separate violent attack, underscoring what authorities describe as a networked threat extending beyond Southern California.
The Turtle Island Liberation Front, while relatively obscure to the public until these arrests, has long been active on social media and in protest movements. The group’s stated mission is “liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty,” drawing on indigenous narratives and anti-colonial rhetoric. The name “Turtle Island” itself is an indigenous term for North America, rooted in Native American oral traditions that describe the continent’s creation atop a giant turtle’s back. As explained by Fox News, activists within the group assert that “Turtle Island” is America’s “decolonized name.”
On their Instagram and Facebook pages, TILF members have posted slogans such as “Death to ICE” and “Freeing the world from American Imperialism is the only way to a safe and peaceful future.” The group is openly hostile to what it calls “fascist colonizers” and has called for resistance, not reform. “There are no morals for us to appeal to, no sense of justice or what’s right. We cannot vote ourselves out of a mass colonizer occupation. The only way out is through resistance. Stop marching parades, fight back,” the group declared on social media.
At recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, TILF activists were seen wearing keffiyehs and carrying signs with incendiary messages, including “Death to ICE.” The group’s opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not just rhetorical; federal officials say the planned attacks specifically targeted ICE agents and vehicles, as well as other government entities.
TILF’s ideology is deeply intertwined with both indigenous and pro-Palestinian activism. The group’s social media frequently draws parallels between the displacement of Native Americans and Palestinians, rallying under the banner of “land back” and decrying both the United States and Israel as colonial states. In an Instagram post, the group’s Los Angeles cell wrote: “Free Palestine. Free Hawaii. Free Puerto Rico.”
According to the Washington Examiner, TILF is allied with the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), a group flagged by extremism watchdogs for promoting anti-Israel propaganda and supporting antisemitic violence. DAMPL has circulated statements endorsing the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israeli civilians and regularly glorifies Hamas military spokesman Abu Obaida, as documented by the Anti-Defamation League. In late November, TILF posted: “Free Palestine or scorch the earth,” signaling its embrace of more radical elements within the broader activist landscape.
Research from George Washington University’s program on extremism, cited by the Washington Examiner, warns that groups like DAMPL illustrate “how foreign conflicts can catalyze homegrown militancy within the United States.” The report notes a rapid escalation from online mobilization to acts of vandalism, intimidation, and attempted incendiary attacks.
Federal officials say the investigation into TILF’s activities was “intense,” involving multiple agencies and a careful review of both physical and digital evidence. Investigators found pro-Palestinian posters at Carroll’s residence and a copy of “Operation Midnight Sun” at Page’s home, as well as step-by-step instructions for constructing pipe bombs and homemade gunpowder. The group allegedly saw New Year’s Eve as the perfect cover for their attack, believing the noise and chaos of fireworks would mask the sound of explosions and delay emergency response.
The four suspects now face federal charges of conspiracy and possession of a destructive device, serious offenses that could result in lengthy prison sentences if convicted. The fifth individual arrested in New Orleans faces similar allegations related to a separate, but ideologically linked, plot.
While the arrests have brought relief to many in Los Angeles and beyond, the case has also sparked debate about the intersection of activism and extremism. Some observers warn against conflating legitimate protest with violent conspiracy, while others argue that groups advocating violence—regardless of their political or ideological motivations—pose a clear and present danger to public safety.
As the investigation continues, authorities remain vigilant, stressing that the threat of domestic extremism is not confined to any single ideology or region. For now, however, the disruption of the alleged TILF plot stands as a sobering reminder of the challenges law enforcement faces in preventing politically motivated violence in a polarized era.
With the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Los Angeles proceeding under heightened security, residents can only hope that this latest plot is the last of its kind—and that the city’s future will be shaped by peace, not fear.
