US authorities stated on Monday that they had managed to foil a detailed plan to set off explosive devices at several sites run by two corporate firms on New Year's Eve in Southern California. The operation followed the arrest of individuals part of an radical faction espousing anti-capitalist and anti-authority ideologies.
Individuals Detained During Remote Practice
A quartet of individuals were taken into custody last Friday in the desert region located east of Los Angeles while they were allegedly practicing their proposed attack. Officials showed overhead reconnaissance footage to reporters, which captured the group transporting a sizeable dark object to a table. Law enforcement noted that the detainments occurred prior to the individuals could put together a working IED.
Names of the Accused Disclosed
According to the public court documents, the four individuals listed are Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32 years old; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. The group are understood to be from the greater Los Angeles vicinity.
Alleged Motivation and Connections
While authorities did not clearly detail a rationale, they stated the group are members of a offshoot dubbed the Turtle Island Liberation Front. This entity according to documents calls for "laborers to revolt and resist against the capitalist system," according to the legal filing.
They face involve conspiracy and having a destructive device. Prosecutors indicated that more charges are anticipated in the next few weeks.
Elements of the Alleged "Midnight Sun Operation"
Authorities revealed that one of the suspects had drafted a detailed scheme last month to bomb at least five business locations across Southern California on New Year's Eve. The locations were likened to "like Amazon" logistical warehouses.
"The bomb plot was detailed," an official said. "It contained step-by-step instructions to make bombs … and named multiple objectives across Orange county and Los Angeles."
As per the probe and court documents, the plan involved planting rucksacks filled with complex IEDs that were scheduled to be detonated all at once at midnight on New Year's Eve at several sites. New Year's Eve was identified as an ideal time because the document stated "celebratory explosions will be going off at this time so blast noises will be more difficult to be detected."
The eight-page manually written plan, called "OPERATION MIDNIGHT SUN," stated that further sites could be incorporated. The locations were categorized as premises and buildings run by two distinct firms tied to activities involving commerce.
Future Plans and Proof Uncovered
The investigation also indicated that two people in the group had discussed future attacks targeting ICE agents agents and cars with pipe bombs in 2026. One suspect according to the complaint said that such strikes "would kill some and scare the rest of them."
Such discussions were allegedly discussed both at an face-to-face gathering in Los Angeles and through an secure communication application.
Images included in the court documents show a isolated site with what authorities described as bomb-making materials scattered on plastic folding tables.
The complaint details that the suspects "each brought explosive materials to the site, among them assorted sizes of tubes, identified as an oxidizer, charcoal briquettes, charcoal powder, powdered sulfur, and material to be used as fuses, and more."
Instructions also had directions on how to manufacture the explosives and how to not leave behind forensic clues that could be connected back to the group. The suspects had recently acquired chemical ingredients and other materials, via buys from online retailers.
Arrest and Aftermath
Federal agents intervened last week while the individuals were rehearsing the strike in the remote area near a desert community. "They owned everything they needed to construct an working bomb at that location," an official stated.
In the course of served searches, investigators allegedly found signs for the Turtle Island Liberation Front at one suspect's home that demanded "Death to America", and "Eliminate ICE". At another suspect's apartment, police found a version of the comprehensive bomb plan.
The suspects were arrested peacefully. They were set to face a judge in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.
