‘Operation Midnight Sun’ FBI Foils Alleged New Year’s Eve Terror Attack Plot
Members of a suspected domestic terrorism cell now accused of plotting several bombing Credit: Department of Justice
On the afternoon of Dec. 12, 2025, broken cloud cover over the Mojave Desert held temperatures to a brisk 63 degrees as a small group gathered at a makeshift campsite in a scrubby clearing. According to federal authorities, the group — now described as a “violent, homegrown, antigovernment organization” — was there to complete a dangerous task: assembling explosive devices.
Card tables hauled into the desert were lined with bomb-making components, including pistol primers, shoelaces, PVC pipes, and containers of potassium nitrate. A canopy tent shielded the materials from the sun. Nearby were stickers bearing the slogan “Free Palestine.”
At one end of the tables stood Audrey Illeene Carroll, a 30-year-old Kansas City native and graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, who prosecutors say acted as the group’s leader. The participants referred to themselves as “The Order of the Black Lotus,” describing the group as a “radical” offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF).
They were following an eight-page handwritten plan dubbed “Operation Midnight Sun,” which prosecutors allege was authored by Carroll. The plan called for coordinated bombings across Los Angeles timed to coincide with New Year’s Eve fireworks, using the celebrations to mask the explosions. According to an indictment, Carroll had spent weeks refining the strategy, presenting it to other TILF members as the opening strike in a broader campaign that would later target federal law enforcement officers.
Under the plan, teams of four would transport what prosecutors describe as “complex pipe bombs” — multiple devices combined into a single explosive — to five locations. Each site would be marked with a red triangle and an anti-government message before the devices were detonated simultaneously at midnight to usher in 2026.
Carroll allegedly emphasized operational discipline, instructing members to communicate only through an encrypted chat labeled “Order of the Black Lotus.” She directed them to wear black bloc clothing, masks, gloves, and to cover their hair. Phones were to be left at home, streaming a long movie during the attack window to create alibis. Participants were even told to place pebbles in their shoes to alter their walking patterns in case surveillance footage captured them.
As the group drove to the desert site, Carroll allegedly remarked to her companions that what they were doing would be viewed as terrorism. Unbeknownst to her, one of those present was an undercover FBI agent wearing a recording device. When bomb components began to be prepared, the agent alerted authorities that testing appeared imminent.
Within moments, FBI SWAT teams descended on the campsite, arresting Carroll along with Zachary Aaron Page, 32, of Torrance; Dante Gaffield, 24, of South Los Angeles; and Tina Lai, 41, of Glendale.
Federal agents also moved that day on another suspected participant in Louisiana. Micah Legnon, a former U.S. Marine, was under surveillance as he allegedly loaded a vehicle with what appeared to be a rifle and body armor while messaging the group “just in case.” Prosecutors say he began driving toward New Orleans before being stopped by parish sheriff’s deputies. A search of his vehicle recovered a rifle, a pistol, body armor, and a gas canister. A subsequent search of his residence uncovered firearms, ammunition, and law enforcement training manuals.
“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 carry out future attacks against federal officers,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
All of the defendants have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody awaiting trial.
Court records outline stark contrasts between Carroll’s public résumé and the views prosecutors say she expressed privately. Before her arrest, Carroll had interned for Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, volunteered on a Chicago mayoral campaign, and managed social media for a Catholic social justice advocacy group. Her public profile spoke of rejecting hatred and injustice, but investigators allege her private messages praised extremist groups and included references to what she called a “terrorist diary.”
A search of Carroll’s South Los Angeles home allegedly uncovered pro-Palestinian propaganda and anti-ICE materials.
In Page’s residence, investigators say they found a handwritten copy of the attack plan. Page’s attorney argued that possession of unassembled components did not amount to owning a destructive device, but a federal judge ordered Page detained pending trial.
Prosecutors also cited inflammatory messages exchanged within the group chat, including statements calling for violence against Israel, the United States, and “colonizers.” Carroll allegedly responded enthusiastically, later declaring, “I identify as a terrorist,” and describing herself as a supporter of Hamas. Gaffield reportedly echoed similar sentiments in messages to the group.
Searches of other defendants’ homes yielded additional materials, including stolen law enforcement equipment, burner phones, and PVC piping. Prosecutors argue that Gaffield’s criminal history and mental health issues make him a public safety risk, a claim his attorneys dispute.
A federal grand jury has since returned additional charges, including providing material support to terrorists and possession of unregistered firearms. Arraignments are scheduled throughout January 2026 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
If convicted, Carroll and Page face potential life sentences in federal prison. Gaffield and Lai each face a maximum sentence of 25 years.
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