US authorities have arrested four individuals after disrupting what the FBI described as a serious and imminent terrorist plot involving planned bombings across Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve. The arrests were carried out over the weekend following an investigation that officials say likely prevented a large-scale loss of life.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspects were linked to a radical splinter group known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), which law enforcement agencies characterise as an extremist organisation with pro-Palestinian, anti-government, and anti-law-enforcement views. According to Patel, the group was actively preparing coordinated attacks and posed an immediate danger to public safety.
Investigators allege that the four suspects were planning to carry out improvised explosive device (IED) attacks at five different locations across Los Angeles. The arrests took place on Friday while the group was reportedly testing explosive materials in a desert area east of the city, shortly before the alleged plot was set to move into its final stages.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California identified the accused as Audrey Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Garfield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. All four are residents of the greater Los Angeles area. Surveillance footage presented during a press briefing showed the suspects handling a large black object and placing it on a table moments before federal agents moved in to detain them.
Each of the four individuals has been formally charged under federal law with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device. Prosecutors indicated that additional charges could be filed as investigators continue analysing seized materials, electronic communications, and other evidence connected to the case. Officials stressed that the suspects were taken into custody while they were allegedly in the process of testing explosives, underscoring the immediacy of the threat.
In a related development, the FBI confirmed that a fifth person associated with the same TILF-linked subgroup was arrested in New Orleans several days later. Authorities said this individual was allegedly planning a separate act of violence, though further details have not yet been made public.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the investigation, stating that the group had discussed launching a series of bombings in California beginning on New Year’s Eve and had also considered targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles. In a post on social media, she described TILF as a far-left, pro-Palestinian, anti-capitalist, and anti-government group that posed a significant domestic security threat.
The arrests come amid heightened global security concerns ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations. Authorities in several countries have increased vigilance in response to potential threats, and in Europe, officials in Paris cancelled the city’s annual midnight concert, citing security risks and rising crime.
