US arrests 4 over alleged California terror plot

WASHINGTON

US federal authorities on Monday announced the arrest of four people over an alleged plot to stage a New Year’s Eve attack in Southern California.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department, together with the FBI disrupted what she called “a massive and horrific terror plot” in the Central District of California, covering Los Angeles and Orange County.

In a post on X, Bondi alleged that the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF) was “preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve,” also claiming the group planned to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and vehicles.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau “disrupted a credible, imminent terrorist threat” and arrested four individuals in the Los Angeles area.

Patel alleged the suspects were “planning coordinated IED bombing attacks on New Year's Eve, targeting five separate locations across Los Angeles.”

He added that a fifth individual was arrested in New Orleans in connection with an alleged separate plot.

TILF, which has a small social media following, describes itself on Facebook as a political organization advocating for the “Liberation of occupied Turtle Island and liberation of all colonized peoples across the world.”

Activists affiliated with the group have previously organized campaigns against detentions and deportations by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as other anti-colonial issues. Authorities have not disclosed evidence supporting the allegations or identified specific targets. The TILF did not immediately comment on the arrests.

The arrests came amid a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on left-wing groups.