‘Operation Midnight Sun’ Plot Arrests: Four Held in Planned California New Year’s Eve Bombings

Los Angeles – Federal agents late last week arrested four people accused of orchestrating what authorities described Monday as a coordinated bombing plot across Southern California set for New Year’s Eve, in a case that has both shaken and relieved communities across the region.

Audrey Illeene Carroll, Zachary Aaron Page, Dante Gaffield, and Tina Lai now stand charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, officials announced. Prosecutors allege the group conspired to build and possess unregistered destructive devices and had detailed plans to place explosive devices at five different locations around Los Angeles and Orange County at the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31.

Investigators say the alleged terror cell — identified in court documents as an offshoot of a radical collective known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front — not only targeted multiple corporate sites but also planned to attack Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles. The Department of Justice and FBI described the conspiracy as radical and anti-government, with ideological roots tied to pro‑Palestinian and anti‑capitalist rhetoric.

The arrests took place in Lucerne Valley, a desert community east of Los Angeles, where authorities said the defendants were preparing to test improvised explosive devices. Surveillance footage and evidence seized at the scene included materials consistent with bomb construction, such as PVC pipes and powders that could be used in explosive mixtures, though officials have not publicly confirmed all forensic test results.

According to the U.S. Attorney General’s office, Carroll allegedly drafted an eight‑page operational guide dubbed “Operation Midnight Sun” detailing the attack strategy, recruitment of co‑conspirators, and intended targets. The FBI reportedly uncovered communications among the group on encrypted messaging platforms and moved in before any devices were deployed.

Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the swift law enforcement action in a press briefing, emphasizing that “coordinated efforts between the FBI and federal partners prevented what could have been a tragic and violent New Year’s Eve.” Local police, federal counterterrorism units, and prosecutors worked in tandem as part of a broader effort to monitor and disrupt domestic extremist plotting.

Though authorities have not released the names of the specific companies named in the plot, they described them broadly as logistics and industrial sites in the greater Los Angeles area. All four defendants now face federal charges including conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device — serious allegations that carry significant prison exposure if convicted.

While the foiled plot has raised alarms about domestic extremism and the evolving tactics of fringe groups, officials stressed that, at this point, there is no evidence of further imminent threats tied to this network. All the suspects have been detained, and federal prosecutors signaled that the investigation remains open and other charges could follow as more evidence comes to light.