Federal law enforcement officials announced the arrest of multiple suspects linked to a far-left extremist group accused of planning coordinated bomb attacks across the United States on New Year’s Eve.
At a press briefing on Monday, authorities confirmed that four alleged members of the group known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front were taken into custody last Friday, effectively disrupting what investigators described as an imminent bombing plot scheduled for Dec. 31.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from federal prosecutors in Louisiana and Massachusetts as search and arrest warrants were executed nationwide.
Prosecutors identified the suspects as Audrey Carroll, 30; Zachary Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, all of whom are accused of conspiring to carry out the planned attacks.
The term “Turtle Island,” authorities noted, is frequently used by some indigenous groups and radical activists as a name for North America due to “America” being derived from Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California said Carroll allegedly established a subgroup called the Order of the Black Lotus, which included the other three defendants and functioned as a faction within the broader extremist organization.
“The charges we are announcing today stem from the defendants and their co-conspirators' detailed, coordinated plot to bomb multiple U.S. companies on New Year's Eve. Thankfully, that plot has now been foiled thanks to the hard work of the FBI and the Department of Justice,” Essayli stated.
Essayli explained that the group described itself as “an anti-capitalist, anti-government movement that calls for their associates to rise up and fight back against capitalism,” framing the alleged plot as ideologically driven.
According to prosecutors, Carroll developed an “explicit” plan in November to target at least five locations across Southern California, with additional attacks allegedly intended against agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Investigators said the suspects traveled to a remote desert location to test explosive devices and possessed all the components required to assemble bombs, prompting law enforcement to move in and make arrests before the plan could advance further.
Search warrants executed at residences in the Los Angeles area uncovered propaganda materials bearing slogans such as “Death to America,” “Long Live Turtle Island and Palestine,” and “Death to ICE,” according to Essayli.
“This case is another reminder about the dangers that radicalized Antifa-like groups pose to people, public safety and the rule of law,” Essayli said. “We disrupted this terror plot before buildings were demolished or innocent people were killed. But this is not the end of our work.”
The arrests follow a September executive order from President Donald Trump formally designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
“All relevant executive departments and agencies shall utilize all applicable authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations — especially those involving terrorist actions — conducted by Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa,” the order stated.
