🔗 Share this article

US authorities announced on Monday that they had successfully thwarted a elaborate plan to detonate IEDs at multiple sites operated by two US-based firms on New Year's Eve in the southern part of the state. The operation followed the arrest of people linked to an militant offshoot promoting anti-corporate and anti-authority views.

Suspects Apprehended During Remote Rehearsal

The four suspects were arrested last Friday in the remote area situated east of Los Angeles as they were according to officials practicing their intended attack. Federal attorneys showed from above surveillance footage to journalists, which depicted the suspects moving a sizeable obscure item to a workspace. Authorities noted that the arrests were made before the group could put together a working bomb.

Identities of the Those Charged Made Public

As per the submitted court documents, the four people named are a 30-year-old named Audrey Illeene Carroll; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; 24-year-old Dante Gaffield; and Tina Lai, 41. All four are said to be from the LA area.

Suspected Driving Force and Ties

Even though officials did not explicitly describe a reason, they stated the group are members of a offshoot called the Turtle Island Liberation Front. This organization according to documents advocates for "laborers to rise up and fight back against corporate power," based on the criminal complaint.

The charges comprise conspiracy to commit a crime and having a explosive. Prosecutors noted that more counts are likely in the coming weeks.

Elements of the Alleged "The Midnight Sun Plan"

Authorities stated that one of the individuals had devised a meticulous scheme last month to target five or more commercial sites across Southern California on New Year's Eve. The locations were described as "like Amazon" distribution centers.

"This scheme was explicit," a prosecutor said. "It laid out detailed directions to construct explosive devices … and identified multiple targets across the county of Orange and Los Angeles."

Based on the investigation and the complaint, the plot entailed planting rucksacks packed with intricate pipe bombs that were planned to be detonated simultaneously at midnight on New Year's Eve at five locations. New Year's Eve was seen as an ideal time as the plan stated "pyrotechnics will be going off at this time so blast noises will be harder to be detected."

An eight-page manually written plan, called "OPERATION MIDNIGHT SUN," stated that further targets could be included. The locations were categorized as premises and buildings operated by two different corporations involved in operations related to interstate and foreign commerce.

Future Plans and Evidence Uncovered

The criminal complaint also stated that two individuals in the collective had talked about future strikes aimed at immigration enforcement agents and cars with pipe bombs in 2026. One suspect reportedly said that such actions "would eliminate some and intimidate the rest of them."

Such discussions were reportedly discussed both at an in-person meeting in Los Angeles and through an secure communication application.

Pictures featured in the case file reveal a isolated site with what authorities identified as explosives-manufacturing items strewn across plastic folding tables.

Official documents notes that the individuals "all brought explosive materials to the site, such as different sizes of plastic pipes, identified as an oxidizer, fuel, powdered charcoal, another chemical, and items to be used as detonators, among others."

The plan also had guidance on how to build the explosives and how to not leave behind forensic clues that could be traced back to the individuals. The individuals had not long ago obtained precursor chemicals and other materials, with purchases from major websites.

Apprehension and Follow-up

The FBI moved in last week while the individuals were running through the operation in the desert near a desert community. "They had all the components they were necessary to build an functional IED at that site," the attorney commented.

During served raids, authorities reportedly found posters for the Turtle Island Liberation Front at one accused's home that demanded "America Must Fall", and "Death to ICE". At another accused's residence, police found a version of the elaborate attack blueprint.

The individuals were arrested peacefully. They were scheduled to make a court appearance in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.