Four Defendants Arrested for Alleged Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Government Plot to Bomb U.S. Companies on New Year’s Eve

LOS ANGELES – Four members of an anti-capitalist and anti-government group that calls for violence against United States officials have been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack two U.S. companies with improvised explosive devices this New Year’s Eve.

The following defendants were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert and are charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device:

• Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, a.k.a. “Asiginaak,” of South Los Angeles;
• Zachary Aaron Page, 32, a.k.a. “AK,” of Torrance;
• Dante Gaffield, 24, a.k.a. “Nomad,” of South Los Angeles; and
• Tina Lai, 41, a.k.a. “Kickwhere,” of Glendale.

The defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

“Working together, federal and local law enforcement prevented a domestic terrorist attack from occurring this New Year’s Eve in Southern California,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Far-left anti-government extremist groups seeking to destroy the American way of life will never prevail and will always face the full force of the law.” 

“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. The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “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.”

“These arrests mark the disruption of a dangerous conspiracy to spread fear and terror across Southern California and the United States on New Year’s Eve, as well as to conduct future attacks targeting federal officers,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This country protects the right to hold extreme views about its past, present, and future, but violence is an unmistakable and enforceable line. The National Security Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who cross that line.”

“The defendants in this case allegedly planned to carry out terrorist attacks by targeting American businesses with explosives on New Year’s Eve, but the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our partners moved quickly to thwart their plot in the planning phase,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The extremist group asked its supporters to organize and be ready but didn’t count on law enforcement being organized and ready to intercept their deadly plans.”

“This case underscores the persistent threat posed by extremist groups and individuals, and the critical importance of continued vigilance by law enforcement to safeguard our communities,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “The successful disruption of this plot is a powerful testament to the strength of a unified response, made possible through the close collaboration and tireless efforts of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our allied partner agencies.”

“The successful prevention of this planned attack underscores the critical importance of sustained coordination between federal, state, local, and tribal law-enforcement partners,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. “The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department works closely with the FBI through the Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify, disrupt, and neutralize threats before they can cause harm to the public.”

“I commend the outstanding collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners that prevented a potential act of violence and led to the quick arrest of individuals involved in this plot,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will continue to work closely with our partners to protect our residents, prevent acts intended to cause harm or fear, and safeguard the diversity that makes our county strong, especially during times when families come together to celebrate and reflect.” 

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Carroll is a member of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), a group that, according to its social media page, is dedicated to “liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty” and for the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism.

“Turtle Island” is a term used by some Native Americans to describe the North American continent and the group has promoted anti-capitalist, anti-government sentiment by posting on social media advocating violence against U.S. officials.

In late November 2025, Carroll provided to co-conspirators an eight-page handwritten document titled, “Operation Midnight Sun,” which described a bombing plot. The plan called for backpacks with bombs to be simultaneously detonated at five or more locations targeting two U.S. companies at midnight this New Year’s Eve in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.

The plan stated that the “ieds” (improvised explosive devices) would be “complex pipe bombs,” included instructions on how to manufacture the bombs, and included guidance to avoid leaving evidence behind that could be traced back to the co-conspirators. As the co-conspirators plotted their attack, Carroll acknowledged what they were planning to do would be “considered a terrorist act.” 

Carroll and fellow TILF member Page recruited other co-conspirators to the plot, including Gaffield and Lai. The co-conspirators took numerous steps toward executing the bombing plot, including acquiring bomb-making materials and traveling to a remote location in the Mojave Desert to construct and detonate test bombs on December 12. 

While in the desert, the co-conspirators took steps to begin construction of the devices, including unloading the bomb-making materials from their cars and beginning to assemble the materials on a table. They also constructed a tent to keep the bomb materials shaded from the sun, wiped down the interior of one of the pipes used for the bombs, and Carroll discussed grinding a precursor for use in an explosive powder.

FBI agents then intervened and arrested the defendants before they completed assembling a functional bomb.

A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison on the unregistered destructive device possession count. 

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the Palm Springs Police Department. FBI field offices in Boston, Buffalo, and New Orleans are also providing assistance.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello and Amanda B. Elbogen of the National Security Division and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Justice Department Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Counterterrorism Section.