Overview
- Audrey Carroll and Zachary Page were arraigned in Los Angeles and entered not-guilty pleas to charges including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, material support to terrorists, and possession of unregistered firearms.
- Tina Lai previously pleaded not guilty to material-support and firearms counts, Dante Anthony-Gaffield is set for arraignment on Jan. 20, and trial for three defendants is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 17.
- Authorities say the suspects were arrested Dec. 12 in the Mojave Desert as they unloaded components to build and test explosives, and officials noted no functional device had been completed.
- Court filings describe a plan to place backpack bombs at multiple Southern California business sites on New Year’s Eve and allege discussions of later pipe-bomb attacks on ICE agents and vehicles.
- Prosecutors identify the group as a radical faction linked to the Turtle Island Liberation Front that used an encrypted chat called Order of the Black Lotus, and investigators continue to pursue leads, including a related arrest reported in New Orleans.