Four suspects were arrested for allegedly planning attacks with improvised explosive devices at five Los Angeles locations on New Year's Eve, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel announced on 15/12.

Patel stated that the suspects are members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), describing it as a "left-wing extremist group with anti-government ideology."

FBI director Kash Patel speaks in Washington on 4/12. Photo: AFP

The indictment in the California federal court named the four suspects as Audrey Carroll, Zachary Page, Dante Gaffield, and Tina Lai, aged 24-41. In November, Carroll and Page provided handwritten documents outlining the bombing plan to an individual, who was an informant for law enforcement.

The two suspects later recruited Gaffield and Lai into the plot, forming a chat group on the Signal messaging app for communication. The group transported materials to a remote area in the Mojave Desert to construct and test an improvised explosive device on 12/12, before being arrested on the spot by FBI agents.

Beyond the New Year's Eve bombing plot, the four suspects also intended to use explosives to attack agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their vehicles.

The suspects appeared in court on 15/12, facing multiple charges, including unlawful possession of destructive devices. Bill Essayli, head of the Los Angeles prosecutor's office, stated that prosecutors will bring additional charges once the evidence review is complete.