Domestic Terrorism

Federal authorities arrested four suspected members of an offshoot of the pro‑Palestinian Turtle Island Liberation Front (identified by prosecutors as the Order of the Black Lotus) in the Mojave Desert near Lucerne Valley, charging them in a federal complaint with conspiracy and possession of a destructive device after recovering bomb‑making components and evidence they were preparing to test improvised explosive devices. Officials said the group planned coordinated New Year’s Eve bombings across Southern California and had discussed targeting ICE agents and vehicles; prosecutors said the investigation—bolstered by an undercover operative after a September 2025 executive order—disrupted the plot and prompted a DOJ/FBI news conference.