Bombs on New Year's Eve? Federal authorities have just smashed a chilling plan by alleged extremists to turn Los Angeles into a war zone on the last night of 2025.
Over the weekend, the FBI arrested four suspected members of a radical faction of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF) for plotting coordinated bombings across five locations in Los Angeles, while a fifth suspect was nabbed in New Orleans for a separate alleged attack.
These arrests, made in Lucerne Valley, come after the FBI uncovered plans to use improvised explosive devices in a horrifying display of violence.
Investigators caught the four suspects—identified as Audrey Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41—while they were reportedly testing bomb-making materials in the Mojave Desert.
They allegedly brought potassium nitrate, PVC pipes, charcoal, sulfur powder, and other components to a campsite, assembling devices under a tent for shade, only to be stopped by agents before completing a functional explosive.
Each of the four now faces charges of conspiracy and possession of a destructive device, a stark reminder that federal law enforcement isn’t playing games with threats to public safety.
The TILF, according to their social media, pushes a radical agenda to “free” regions like Palestine, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from what they call American imperialism, while aiming to dismantle the so-called “illegal American empire” across North America.
“Free Palestine. Free Hawaii. Free Puerto Rico. Freeing the world from American imperialism is the only way to a safe and peaceful future,” their Instagram account proclaims.
While the passion for global causes can be understood, targeting innocent civilians and federal agents—like the planned hits on ICE personnel and vehicles—crosses a line into dangerous extremism that no amount of idealism can justify.
A federal criminal complaint filed on Saturday detailed the plot, revealing written attack plans, shared instructions for building bombs, and even surveillance of intended targets.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the swift action, saying, “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.”
Her words are reassuring, yet they underline a troubling reality: ideological fervor, when unchecked by reason, can breed chaos that law enforcement must constantly battle to contain.
At a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli didn’t mince words, stating, “The charges we are announcing today stem from the defendants and their co-conspirators’ detailed, coordinated plot to bomb multiple U.S. companies on New Year's Eve.”
Officials, including Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, laid out the investigation’s progress, complete with images of the suspects, showing the public just how close this alleged scheme came to fruition.
While some might argue these groups are just “misguided activists,” the hard evidence of bomb-making and target scouting suggests a darker intent—one that thankfully didn’t see the light of day, thanks to the FBI’s vigilance.
