Foiled New Year’s Eve Terror Plot Targeted L.A.-Area Businesses

A plan to attack several los Angeles-area businesses on New year’s Eve was detailed,hazardous and already in motion,authorities said.

But as four people allegedly tied to a left-wing, antigovernment group gathered last week in the Mojave Desert to make and test several test bombs, FBI officials say, agents were able to foil the terror plot.

“Thay had everything they needed to make an operational bomb at that location,” First Assistant U.S. atty. Bill Essayli said at a news conference Monday morning.”We disrupted this terror plot before buildings were demolished or innocent people were killed.”

Four Arrested in Alleged New Year’s Eve Bomb Plot in Southern California

The four individuals were arrested on suspicion of devising a plot that Essayli described as “organized, complex and extremely violent.” They were all linked to a radical faction of the Turtle Island Liberation Front called order of the Black Lotus. FBI assistant Director in charge Akil Davis called the faction “a violent, homegrown, antigovernment group.”

Officials did not name the businesses or buildings the group allegedly planned to target,but Essayli said they were various “logistic centers” similar to those used by Amazon.He stated thes locations were in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

A criminal complaint charged Audrey Illeene Carroll,30,of Los Angeles; Zachary Aaron Page,32,of Torrance; Dante Gaffield,24,of Los Angeles; and Tina Lai,41,of Glendale,with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device.Their attorneys either did not immediately respond to inquiries or declined to comment.

According to the complaint,the group shared a handwritten document called “Operation Midnight Sun.” Authorities said the plan was to plant backpacks with improvised explosive devices at five locations targeting two U.S. companies to be “simultaneously detonated” at midnight on New Year’s Eve.