4 indicted in alleged New Year’s Eve bombing plot in L.A.
Four members of an anti-government, anti-capitalist group have been indicted on terrorism-related charges after federal authorities said they plotted to carry out coordinated bombings across Southern California on New Year’s Eve, according to prosecutors.
A federal grand jury returned the six-count indictment on Tuesday in Los Angeles, charging the defendants in connection with an alleged bombing plot that authorities said was disrupted before any functional explosives were completed, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Prosecutors identified the defendants as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, of South Los Angeles; Zachary Aaron Page, 32, of Torrance; Dante James Anthony-Gaffield, 24, of South Los Angeles; and Tina Lai, 41, of Glendale.
Each is charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists and possession of unregistered firearms. Carroll and Page are also charged with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.
Authorities said all four defendants are members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, which prosecutors described as an anti-capitalist and anti-government group.
Investigators said the defendants communicated through an encrypted messaging group called “Order of the Black Lotus,” which authorities characterized as a radical faction within the movement.
According to the indictment, Carroll drafted an eight-page handwritten document in November 2025 titled “Operation Midnight Sun,” outlining a plan to bomb multiple U.S. businesses across Southern California on New Year’s Eve.
Prosecutors said the document detailed intended targets, instructions for manufacturing explosive devices, methods for sourcing materials, and guidance on avoiding detection.
Federal authorities said the alleged targets included technology and logistics companies and that the plan was designed to “completely pulverize” the sites. Prosecutors allege Carroll later recruited Page, Anthony-Gaffield, and Lai to participate in the plot.
Investigators said the defendants exchanged extremist messages in encrypted chats and procured bomb-making materials, including potassium nitrate, sulfur, charcoal, and pipes. On December 12, authorities said the group traveled to the Mojave Desert to build and test explosive devices.
The FBI arrested the defendants at the test site before any functional explosive devices were completed, according to prosecutors. Authorities said Carroll and Page also discussed plans to target U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles after the New Year’s Eve bombings.
All four defendants are being held in federal custody without bond and have arraignments scheduled on separate dates in January.
Prosecutors said Carroll and Page each face a potential maximum sentence of life in federal prison if convicted, while Anthony-Gaffield and Lai face up to 25 years.
Federal authorities have linked the case to a separate investigation involving a former U.S. Marine accused of planning an armed attack in Louisiana. Court records show Micah James Legnon, a resident of New Iberia, Louisiana, was charged last week in federal court with making threats in interstate commerce after investigators said he planned to carry out an attack in New Orleans.
According to an FBI affidavit, Legnon was associated with members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front and participated in the same encrypted “Order of the Black Lotus” messaging group where the Southern California bombing plot was discussed.
Investigators said Legnon was detained along U.S. Highway 90 while traveling toward New Orleans, where authorities said they recovered firearms, body armor, and other equipment. A search of his residence later uncovered additional weapons, ammunition, and tactical training materials, according to court filings.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
