Federal authorities in the United States have arrested five people they accuse of planning to carry out a series of “terrorist” attacks during New Year’s celebrations in Southern California, Attorney General Pam Bondi reported Monday (12/15/2025). The suspects were part of an alleged conspiracy orchestrated by an “extreme left-wing” anti-government group called the Turtle Island Liberation Front.
“After an intensive investigation, the Department of Justice, in coordination with the FBI, prevented a massive and atrocious terrorist attack in the Central District of California (Orange and Los Angeles counties),” wrote prosecutor Bondi on the social network
The suspects planned a series of explosions in “several parts of California” as well as attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Meanwhile, on the same social platform, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest of a fifth person also linked to the “extremist” group in New Orleans, where he was planning a “separate violent attack.”
“Operation Midnight Sun”
According to the investigation, the plan was called “Operation Midnight Sun” and called for participants to simultaneously place backpacks containing homemade explosives in five different locations on December 31st. The bombs targeted “two American companies,” which are not named. To prepare for the attack, the defendants traveled to the Mojave Desert to test explosives.
In addition to the New Year’s plans, two of the detainees discussed ideas of attacking ICE agents and vehicles in January and February of next year, with the goal of “taking out some and frightening the rest,” the documents said. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli linked the arrests to the Trump administration’s efforts to “eradicate the threats posed by far-left terrorists in the United States.”
DZC (EFE, AFP)
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