December 17, 2025

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Left-Wing Terror Plot Planned for New Year’s Eve Disrupted by U.S. Law Enforcement

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests of four individuals (Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, also known as Asiginaak, of South Los Angeles; Zachary Aaron Page, 32, also known as AK, of Torrance; Dante Gaffield, 24, also known as Nomad, of South Los Angeles; and Tina Lai, 41, also known as Kickwhere, of Glendale) in connection with an alleged plot to attack multiple sites in California on New Years Eve including two U.S. companies as well as immigration agents and vehicles. The individuals were identified as members of the “Turtle Island Liberation Front” (TILF), “a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group,” according to Bondi. The suspects were arrested in the Mojave Desert while allegedly in the process of preparing improved explosive devices (IEDs); federal prosecutors charged them with conspiracy and possession of unregistered destructive devices.

According to the Justice Department, Carroll provided the co-conspirators with an eight-page document titled “Operation Midnight Sun,” which allegedly outlined plans to detonate “complex pipe bombs” hidden in backpacks simultaneously, and included instructions on assembling the bombs, as well as how to avoid leaving evidence behind that could trace the bombs back to the suspects such as the use of burner phones. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg noted following the arrests: “These arrests mark the disruption of a dangerous conspiracy to spread fear and terror across Southern California and the United States on New Year’s Eve, as well as to conduct future attacks targeting federal officers.”

Information on TILF as a whole remains limited, though its Instagram page describes the organization’s mission as “liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty.” The term ‘Turtle Island’ — a name that originated from American Indigenous peoples for the North American continent — is a rhetorical marker for the liberation of previously colonized areas such as Palestine, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Its social media also includes statements such as “peaceful protest will never be enough” and “stop marching in parades, fight back.”

The TILF plot represents the growing trend of political violence in the U.S., from both sides of the political spectrum. While domestic terrorism events in past years have largely come from the far-right, experts have warned to expect an uptick in far-left incidents as a result of factors such as Donald Trump’s presidency (for those who see his policies as an existential threat), Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, the rise of artificial intelligence, a growing aversion to capitalism and multinational corporations, and more. The alleged targets of the TILF attack — logistic centers at two U.S. companies — represent key nodes of economic activity and symbolize capitalist influence, aligning with the group’s purported anti-capitalist views. In addition to these sites, the alleged plans for the suspects to attack immigration agents and vehicles signify the incorporation of federal law enforcement as targets of an ideological grievance.

Experts have been warning about a blending of grievances on the left, similar to what some analysts call ‘salad bar terrorism,’ ideological convergence, or composite violent extremism. But the grievances combine antisemitic, anti-Israeli, anti-corporate, pro-abortion rights, environmental activism, and animal welfare extremism, among other left-wing causes. The extremism linked to Israel and the Palestinians is categorized as ‘left-wing’ because it is often framed in terms of an anti-imperialist campaign intended to protect the oppressed.

A number of other radical left networks have also been responsible for growing political violence, including the so-called ‘Zizians,’ a cult-like group that promotes veganism, anarchism, transhumanism, and extreme interpretations of rationalist and effective altruist principles. This group is tied to six violent deaths over the past several years. Shortly after the heinous murder of Charlie Kirk, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a paper that claimed, “The first half of 2025 was marked by an increase in left-wing terrorist attacks and plots in the United States, which continues a trend noticeable over the last decade.”

In September, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order (EO) designating “ANTIFA” as a domestic terrorist organization. The EO reads: “Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.” It goes on to claim that “Antifa recruits, trains, and radicalizes young Americans to engage in this violence and suppression of political activity, then employs elaborate means and mechanisms to shield the identities of its operatives, conceal its funding sources and operations in an effort to frustrate law enforcement, and recruit additional members.” After the designation of ANTIFA, the Trump administration was criticized for politicizing counterterrorism, especially since highly lethal far-right groups, organizations, and networks, including white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and anti-government militias, were not similarly designated as domestic terrorist groups.

Following the EO, the Justice Department allegedly circulated a memo to the FBI in early December to “‘compile a list of groups or entities engaged in acts that may constitute domestic terrorism’ by the start of next year, and to establish a ‘cash reward system’ that incentivizes individuals to report on their fellow Americans,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The memo purportedly goes on to mention targeting certain ideologies including, “adherence to radical gender ideology, anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, or anti-Christianity,” as well as “opposition to law and immigration enforcement, extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders.” Similar to the criticism following the ANTIFA designation, some have pointed out the omission of ideologies such as white supremacy from the memo. Experts have noted that the memo signals a dramatic shift in instructing federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents to address domestic terrorism through an approach that is explicitly weighted toward one side, notably as President Trump has significantly reduced domestic counterterrorism budgets this year. Critics have also argued that this strategy can easily violate Americans’ civil liberties, while also contending that the cash reward system is unlikely to be a reliable means of thwarting legitimate threats.

The United States government needs to be concerned about all types of ideologically and politically motivated violence, no matter which side of the spectrum it emanates from. The TILF plot could be the sign of more terrorism from the far-left in the coming year, but other threats remain on the horizon, including that posed by the persistence of jihadist groups, including the Islamic State. Picking and choosing which types of terrorism to combat will make all Americans less safe, and law enforcement and the intelligence community need to remain focused on the tactics, techniques, and procedures of these groups, as well as what grievances are motivating their turn toward violence and extremism.