Overview
- Federal officials said four suspects were arrested in Lucerne Valley while preparing to test explosives and each was charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
- The FBI said a fifth person linked to the same subgroup was arrested in New Orleans in a separate alleged attack plan, and prosecutors indicated more charges are likely as evidence is reviewed.
- Prosecutors allege an eight-page document titled “Operation Midnight Sun” laid out simultaneous backpack IED attacks at five locations at midnight on New Year’s Eve, including two logistics centers in Los Angeles and Orange County.
- Investigators cited bomb-making supplies at a Mojave Desert campsite, aerial surveillance footage of the suspects, and encrypted communications as key evidence.
- The four California defendants were identified as Audrey Illeene Carroll, Zachary Aaron Page, Dante Gaffield, and Tina Lai, whom officials describe as part of a radical Turtle Island Liberation Front offshoot that also discussed targeting ICE agents and vehicles.