FBI Disrupts Credible, Imminent Terrorist Threat Targeting Los Angeles on New Year's Eve

Los Angeles, December 15, 2025 - Federal authorities announced Monday that the FBI has thwarted a planned series of bombings in the Los Angeles area scheduled for New Year's Eve, arresting four individuals alleged to be part of a radical extremist group.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated on social media that agents disrupted a "credible, imminent terrorist threat" over the weekend, apprehending four suspects connected to the Los Angeles region. The individuals reportedly self-identified as members of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), described as an extremist group motivated by pro-Palestinian, anti-law-enforcement, anti-government, and anti-capitalist ideology.

According to Patel, the suspects were allegedly preparing coordinated attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), targeting five separate locations across Los Angeles on December 31.

Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed the announcement, praising the Department of Justice and FBI for preventing what she called a "massive and horrific terror plot" in Southern California, including potential attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles.

The four suspects - identified in court documents as Audrey Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Garfield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, all from the Los Angeles area - were arrested last week in Lucerne Valley, a remote desert community east of Los Angeles. Authorities allege they were at a campsite testing explosive devices when taken into custody.

A federal criminal complaint details that the group had gathered bomb-making materials, including PVC pipes, potassium nitrate, charcoal, sulfur powder, and fuse components. They face charges including conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device, with prosecutors indicating additional charges may follow.

Separately, the FBI's New Orleans field office arrested a fifth individual believed to be linked to the same TILF subgroup, who was allegedly planning a distinct violent attack.

"Turtle Island" refers to an Indigenous name for North America, and online accounts associated with TILF chapters advocate for decolonization and liberation of territories including Palestine, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Officials credited an intensive multi-agency investigation for averting the attacks, stating that the efforts "undoubtedly saved countless lives." A press conference was held Monday to provide further details, with no specific targets beyond the Los Angeles area publicly disclosed for security reasons.

The disruption comes amid heightened vigilance for domestic extremism, and authorities urged the public to remain alert during the holiday season.