Los Angeles, December 15, 2025 — The FBI has disrupted a “credible and imminent” terrorist threat in Los Angeles, arresting four individuals allegedly planning coordinated bombings across the city on New Year’s Eve.
The suspects are reportedly affiliated with a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an extremist group espousing pro-Palestinian, anti-law-enforcement, anti-government, and anti-capitalist ideologies. They were allegedly preparing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to target five locations throughout Los Angeles.
The arrests occurred over the weekend in Lucerne Valley, California, where the suspects were allegedly testing explosives. A fifth individual, believed to be connected to the network, was apprehended in New Orleans for planning a separate violent attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the suspects as self-identified members of TILF, while Attorney General Pam Bondi called the plot a “massive and horrific terror plot” that threatened multiple sites, including potential attacks on ICE agents and vehicles. Bondi praised the coordinated efforts of the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for preventing what could have been a devastating attack.
The TILF publicly promotes the “liberation” of Turtle Island (a term used by some Indigenous groups to refer to North America) from perceived American imperialism and has voiced support for Palestinian causes, as well as independence movements in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
FBI officials emphasized that the swift investigation and arrests likely saved countless lives, underscoring the ongoing vigilance against domestic extremism. A press conference at the FBI Los Angeles Field Office is scheduled to provide further details.
The operation highlights the continued threat posed by extremist groups and the importance of proactive law enforcement in safeguarding communities.
