Grand Jury Charges Four Members of Anti-Government Group with Terrorism Felonies Stemming from New Year's Eve Bombing Plot

LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today returned a six-count indictment
against four members of a far-left, anti-capitalist, and anti-government
group that allegedly plotted to set off bombs in Southern California on
New Year’s Eve, charging them with additional, terrorism-related
felonies. 

Each of the following defendants is charged with one count of providing
and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and one count
of possession of unregistered firearms: 

Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, a.k.a. “Asiginaak,” and “Black Moon,” of
South Los Angeles; Zachary Aaron Page, 32, a.k.a. “AK,” “Ash Kerrigan,”
and “Cthulu’s Daughter,” of Torrance; Dante James Anthony-Gaffield, 24,
a.k.a. “Nomad,” of South Los Angeles; and Tina Lai, 41, a.k.a.
“Kickwhere,” of Glendale. Carroll and Page also are charged with one
count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. 

All four defendants are in federal custody without bond. Lai’s
arraignment is scheduled for January 2, 2026. Carroll and Page are
scheduled to be arraigned on January 5, 2026. Gaffield’s arraignment is
scheduled for January 20, 2026. All the defendants will be arraigned in
United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. 

“The charges a federal grand jury returned today reflect the seriousness
of the conduct: a planned terrorist attack on American soil on New
Year’s Eve,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli.
“If convicted, this group of self-professed left-wing radicals will face
decades in federal prison. We will continue to investigate and prosecute
any and all terror groups and bring them to justice.” 

According to the indictment, the defendants are part of the Turtle
Island Liberation Front (TILF), an anti-capitalist and anti-government
group. They also are members of what Carroll characterized as a
“radical” TILF faction that communicated using an encrypted messaging
group called “Order of the Black Lotus.” 

In November 2025, Carroll drafted an eight-page, handwritten document
titled, “Operation Midnight Sun” that described a bombing plot targeting
U.S. businesses across Southern California this upcoming New Year’s Eve. 

Among other things, the plot included details on the co-conspirators’
“marks” (intended targets), instructions on how to manufacture the bombs
and source the bomb-making materials, and guidance for the
co-conspirators to avoid leaving evidence behind that could be traced to
them. 

The New Year’s Eve bombing plot was designed to “completely pulverize”
the targets, which included technology and logistics companies with
offices across Southern California. After drafting the bombing plot,
Carroll recruited others – including Page, Gaffield, and Lai – to join
the attack plan. 

On November 29, 2025, Page used an encrypted messaging application to
send the following message to co-conspirators, including Carroll and
Gaffield: “death to israel death to the usa death to colonizers death to
settler-coloniasm [sic].” In response to Page’s message, Carroll stated,
“Death to them all, burn it all down [three emojis of a burning heart].” 

Throughout early December 2025, the defendants procured bomb-making
materials to build and test explosive devices in the Mojave Desert on
December 12, 2025, including by obtaining bomb-making materials such as
potassium nitrate, sulfur, charcoal, and pipes. 

Carroll and Page also described plans for after the New Year’s Eve
bombings, including targeting United States Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles with firearms and pipe bombs to
“take some of them out and scare the rest of them,” according to the
indictment. 

On December 12, 2025, the defendants traveled to the Mojave Desert to
build and test explosives that they planned to use as part of the New
Year’s Eve plot. The FBI arrested them at the scene before the
co-conspirators could make functional explosive devices. 

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a
crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless
proven guilty in court. 

If convicted, Carroll and Page would face a statutory maximum sentence
of life in federal prison, and Gaffield and Lai would face a statutory
maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison. 

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter.
Considerable assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police
Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the San
Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the Palm Springs Police
Department. FBI field offices in Boston, Buffalo, and New Orleans are
also providing assistance. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello and Amanda B. Elbogen
of the National Security Division and Assistant United States Attorney
Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are
prosecuting this case, with assistance from Justice Department Trial
Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Counterterrorism Section. 

Contact
Ciaran McEvoy
Public Information Officer
[email protected]
(213) 894-4465

https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/grand-jury-charges-four-members-anti
-government-group-terrorism-felonies-stemming-new