FBI agents thwarted what they described as a credible terrorist threat over the weekend, arresting four alleged members of an extremist pro-Palestinian group accused of planning coordinated attacks on New Year's Eve in Los Angeles.
The FBI told Fox News that the suspects identified themselves as members of a radical branch of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, or TILF, an extremist group driven by pro-Palestinian, anti law enforcement and anti government ideology. "Turtle Island" is a term used by some Native Americans to describe the territory of the US and North America more broadly, a name that until recently was rarely used and has since been adopted by radical organizations.
According to the FBI, the suspects allegedly planned to carry out coordinated attacks on New Year's Eve using improvised explosive devices aimed at five separate locations across Los Angeles. The agency said the four were arrested in the Lucerne Valley area, where they were believed to be preparing to test explosive devices ahead of the planned attacks. Each of the suspects was charged with conspiracy and possession of an explosive device.
The FBI said on that a fifth individual allegedly linked to the same TILF extremist group was arrested in New Orleans on suspicion of planning a separate attack.
An Instagram account affiliated with TILF reported that its founding chapter is based in Los Angeles and that its goal is to "liberate Turtle Island," a term used by Indigenous activists to refer to North America, from what it calls the "illegal American empire." "Free Palestine. Free Hawaii. Free Puerto Rico," the account said.
