A federal grand jury has returned a six-count indictment charging four members of a self-described “radical” anti-government group with terrorism felonies stemming from an alleged plot to detonate bombs at businesses across Southern California this upcoming New Year’s Eve.
The indictment, announced Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, alleges that the defendants—members of a group known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF)—planned to “completely pulverize” technology and logistics companies in the region.
“Operation Midnight Sun”
According to court documents, the conspiracy was spearheaded by Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, of South Los Angeles. Investigators allege that in November 2025, Carroll drafted an eight-page handwritten manifesto titled “Operation Midnight Sun.”
The document reportedly outlined a comprehensive plan to attack U.S. businesses, including specific targets (“marks”), instructions on manufacturing explosive devices, and protocols to avoid leaving forensic evidence.
Federal prosecutors state that Carroll recruited three others into a faction that communicated via an encrypted messaging group called the “Order of the Black Lotus.” The co-defendants have been identified as:
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Zachary Aaron Page, 32, of Torrance
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Dante James Anthony-Gaffield, 24, of South Los Angeles
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Tina Lai, 41, of Glendale
The Arrest
The group’s activities culminated on December 12, 2025, when the four defendants traveled to the Mojave Desert. According to the indictment, they intended to build and test explosive devices using materials they had procured, including potassium nitrate, sulfur, charcoal, and pipes.
Agents with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested the group at the scene before functional explosives could be fully assembled.
“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. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute any and all terror groups and bring them to justice.”
Extremist Ideology and Secondary Targets
The indictment characterizes TILF as a far-left, anti-capitalist, and anti-government organization. Prosecutors highlighted encrypted messages sent by Page on November 29 declaring “death to the usa” and “death to colonizers,” to which Carroll allegedly replied, “Death to them all, burn it all down.”
Beyond the commercial targets, Carroll and Page are also accused of conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction. The indictment alleges they planned follow-up attacks targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles with pipe bombs and firearms to “take some of them out and scare the rest of them.”
Charges and Next Steps
All four defendants are charged with providing material support to terrorists and possession of unregistered firearms. Carroll and Page face an additional charge of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.
If convicted, Carroll and Page face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Gaffield and Lai face a maximum of 25 years.
The defendants remain in federal custody without bond. Arraignments are scheduled to begin on January 2, 2026, for Lai, followed by Carroll and Page on January 5, and Gaffield on January 20.
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.
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