los angeles — Federal authorities on Monday announced the arrest of four alleged members of an extremist group suspected of planning coordinated New Year’s Eve bomb attacks in Southern California.
The suspects were arrested last week in Lucerne Valley, a desert city east of Los Angeles, where they were suspected of preparing to test explosive devices ahead of planned bombings, according to the federal criminal complaint filed Saturday. The complaint stated that the three were members of a branch of a pro-Palestinian group called the Turtle Island Liberation Front.
They each face charges including conspiracy and possession of a destructive device, court documents show.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that the group was planning to set off a series of bombings at multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve, and also planned to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles.
Photos of evidence included in court documents show a desert camp site with what investigators said were bomb-making materials scattered on plastic folding tables.
The suspects “all brought bomb-making components to the campsite, including various sizes of plastic pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, charcoal powder, sulfur powder, and materials to be used as fuses, among other items,” the complaint states.
Federal authorities planned to hold a news conference on Monday morning to discuss the arrests.