FBI arrests 4 suspects in New Year’s Eve terror plot targeting California
The suspects were arrested last week in Lucerne Valley, a desert city east of Los Angeles, where they were suspected of preparing to test improvised explosive devices ahead of the planned bombings.
December 16, 2025 07:51 PM IST
First published on: Dec 15, 2025 at 10:27 PM IST
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Photos of suspects of a terror plot are shown on a screen during a press conference in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)
Federal authorities Monday announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disrupted an “imminent terrorist threat” and arrested four alleged members of an extremist group who are suspected of planning coordinated bombing attacks on New Year’s Eve across Southern California.
Over the weekend, the @FBI disrupted a credible, imminent terrorist threat and arrested FOUR individuals connected to the Los Angeles area.
The subjects self-identified as members of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an extremist group motivated by… pic.twitter.com/81NfM1Mvwi
In a post on X, FBI Director Kash Patel said, “Over the weekend, the FBI disrupted a credible, imminent terrorist threat and arrested FOUR individuals connected to the Los Angeles area. The subjects self-identified as members of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an extremist group motivated by pro-Palestinian, anti-law-enforcement, and anti-government ideology. They were allegedly planning coordinated IED bombing attacks on New Year’s Eve, targeting five separate locations across Los Angeles.”
As per the federal criminal complaint filed on Tuesday, the suspects were arrested in Lucerne Valley, a desert city east of Los Angeles last week and the group of four were suspected of preparing to test improvised explosive devices ahead of the planned bombings, AP reported.
After an intense investigation, the Department of Justice, working with our @FBI, prevented what would have been a massive and horrific terror plot in the Central District of California (Orange County and Los Angeles).
The criminal complaint further added the members belonged to a group named Turtle Island Liberation Front which is an offshoot of a pro-Palestinian group. Each of the members arrested face charges including conspiracy and possession of a destructive device, court documents showed.
The group is alleged to have been planning to set off a series of bombings at multiple targets in California, starting with New Year’s Eve and they had allegedly also planned to target agents and vehicles of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X.
The federal complaint states, “The suspects brought bomb-making components to the campsite, including various sizes of PVC pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, charcoal powder, sulfur powder, and material to be used as fuses, among others.”
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Photos of suspects of a terror plot are shown on a screen during a press conference in Los Angeles. (AP Photo) 
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) 
