FBI confirms 4 suspects arrested in alleged 'Turtle Island Liberation Front' New Year’s Eve plot
.@POTUS's executive order enabled the @FBI to thwart the pro-Palestine, leftist terror bombing planned for Los Angeles on New Year's Eve using IEDs, Atty Essayli says.
— TheCapitolInstitute (@CapitolInstitut) December 15, 2025
4 arrested. Additional charges will be filed. Members of the anti-capitalist "Turtle Island Liberation Front." pic.twitter.com/c5EBPBXUMX
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The FBI conducted a press conference where Bill Essayli announced that the organization apprehended four members of the 'TILF' t***or group on Monday, December 15.
Essayli also revealed that the charges these four were charged with stemmed from the co-conspirator's detailed description of what the attack was set to be, which included bombing several locations in Southern California on New Year’s Eve.
Bill Essayli shares details about the arrested individuals
During the press conference, Bill Essayli said that he would be sharing details of what the members of the group had planned for those who didn’t believe that they were “organized, sophisticated,” and violent.
He revealed the names of the defendants as Audrey Carroll, 30, Zachery Aaron Page, 32, Dante Gaffield, 24, and Tina Le, 41.
We have zero tolerance for domestic terrorism in the United States. The following four defendants -- members of the far-left anti-capitalist and anti-government group Turtle Island Liberation Front -- were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert for allegedly plotting to bomb U.S.… pic.twitter.com/CX0R1JxW7r
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) December 15, 2025
Essayli said that they were all from the Los Angeles area and were charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device, in violation of Title 26, United States Code section 5861D.
“We intend to file additional charges in the coming weeks as we finish reviewing the evidence,” he added.
Essayli said that the defendants were all “radical, anti-government” members of the 'Turtle Island Liberation Front'.
He said the group, based on its social media accounts, was an “anti-capitalist, anti-government movement” that wanted its associates to fight against capitalism.
Essayli added that Audrey Carroll helped organise an even more radical faction of the group called 'The Order of the Black Lotus' and that the four individuals arrested were also part of the subgroup.
Bill Essayli reveals details of the attempted attack
Bill Essayli said that in November 2025, Carol created a detailed bombing plan in which she planned on bombing five or more locations in California using explosive devices on New Year’s Eve.
He added that Zachary Page took charge of obtaining materials to build the bombs and to recruit the others.
Carroll also told the FBI that she knew what the group set out to do would be considered a “t****rist act,” and Page and Carroll also discussed follow-up attacks after the New Year’s Eve attack.
The FBI added that throughout December 2025, the “co-conspirators” discussed their plans in Los Angeles using an “encrypted messaging application.” They planned to build test bombs in the Mojave Desert.
On Friday, the defendants took a “significant step” to carry out their plan and travelled to a remote campsite where they wanted to assemble and test out the device. However, they were arrested before they could build the bomb and were taken into custody by the FBI.
