Federal Authorities Report Foiled Attack Plans in New Orleans

Plans for a potential attack in New Orleans were disrupted when authorities arrested an ex-Marine, Micah James Legnon, 28, who was en route to the city with firearms and body armor in his vehicle. This information comes from court documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Legnon faces charges related to threats in interstate commerce. Federal agents had been monitoring him due to his connections with an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group. Recently, four members of this group were apprehended in the Mojave Desert, east of Los Angeles, while rehearsing a plot to detonate bombs in Southern California on New Year’s Eve.

The urgency of the attack plans in New Orleans escalated following the deployment of several hundred immigration agents to southeast Louisiana. This operation, known as “Catahoula Crunch,” aims for 5,000 arrests. It is part of a broader series of enforcement actions that have also taken place in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

According to court documents, Legnon expressed a desire to “recreate” the infamous Waco siege with an attack in New Orleans. This was highlighted in a chat message dated December 4, where he used the alias “Kateri The Witch” shortly after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived in the city. Notably, while his alias included “she/her,” jail records identified Legnon as male.

Investigators believe that Legnon’s message referenced the 1993 Waco siege, which ended after 51 days and resulted in the deaths of four federal agents, a religious leader, and 76 of his followers. Just eight days after his chat post, an FBI agent observed Legnon placing a weapon into a car.

In a group chat, Legnon stated he was “on my way” to New Orleans and shared a video showcasing a gun and a bulletproof vest, captioning it with “just in case.” Following his arrest on December 12, agents discovered an assault rifle, a pistol, a gas canister, and body armor in his vehicle. Additionally, inside his apartment in New Iberia, Louisiana, they found sniper and SWAT training manuals, assault rifles, and ammunition.

As of now, court documents do not mention an attorney representing Legnon. Both the Office of the State Public Defender and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana have not responded to inquiries regarding his legal representation.

Authorities suspect Legnon is affiliated with the Turtle Island Liberation Front, a group advocating for “liberation through decolonization tribal sovereignty.” This group has been characterized by federal authorities as “far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist.”

In the California case involving the same group, a member devised a detailed plan to bomb multiple businesses across Southern California on New Year’s Eve. The plot included planting backpacks filled with complex pipe bombs intended to detonate simultaneously at midnight.

Additionally, two members of the group discussed plans to target ICE agents and their vehicles with pipe bombs in 2026, as noted in the criminal complaint. Some aspects of the foiled California plot bear a chilling resemblance to a recent deadly attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

In the early hours of January 1, 2025, Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove his truck down Bourbon Street, crashing into New Year’s revelers and resulting in 14 fatalities and numerous injuries. Prior to this attack, Jabbar, who was ultimately shot by police, had placed multiple bombs in coolers around the French Quarter, none of which detonated. Authorities indicated that Jabbar was inspired by the Islamic State group.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Plans for a potential attack in New Orleans were disrupted when authorities arrested an ex-Marine, Micah James Legnon, 28, who was en route to the city with firearms and body armor in his vehicle. This information comes from court documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Legnon faces charges related to threats in interstate commerce. Federal agents had been monitoring him due to his connections with an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group. Recently, four members of this group were apprehended in the Mojave Desert, east of Los Angeles, while rehearsing a plot to detonate bombs in Southern California on New Year’s Eve.

The urgency of the attack plans in New Orleans escalated following the deployment of several hundred immigration agents to southeast Louisiana. This operation, known as “Catahoula Crunch,” aims for 5,000 arrests. It is part of a broader series of enforcement actions that have also taken place in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

According to court documents, Legnon expressed a desire to “recreate” the infamous Waco siege with an attack in New Orleans. This was highlighted in a chat message dated December 4, where he used the alias “Kateri The Witch” shortly after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived in the city. Notably, while his alias included “she/her,” jail records identified Legnon as male.

Investigators believe that Legnon’s message referenced the 1993 Waco siege, which ended after 51 days and resulted in the deaths of four federal agents, a religious leader, and 76 of his followers. Just eight days after his chat post, an FBI agent observed Legnon placing a weapon into a car.

In a group chat, Legnon stated he was “on my way” to New Orleans and shared a video showcasing a gun and a bulletproof vest, captioning it with “just in case.” Following his arrest on December 12, agents discovered an assault rifle, a pistol, a gas canister, and body armor in his vehicle. Additionally, inside his apartment in New Iberia, Louisiana, they found sniper and SWAT training manuals, assault rifles, and ammunition.

As of now, court documents do not mention an attorney representing Legnon. Both the Office of the State Public Defender and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana have not responded to inquiries regarding his legal representation.

Authorities suspect Legnon is affiliated with the Turtle Island Liberation Front, a group advocating for “liberation through decolonization tribal sovereignty.” This group has been characterized by federal authorities as “far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist.”

In the California case involving the same group, a member devised a detailed plan to bomb multiple businesses across Southern California on New Year’s Eve. The plot included planting backpacks filled with complex pipe bombs intended to detonate simultaneously at midnight.

Additionally, two members of the group discussed plans to target ICE agents and their vehicles with pipe bombs in 2026, as noted in the criminal complaint. Some aspects of the foiled California plot bear a chilling resemblance to a recent deadly attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

In the early hours of January 1, 2025, Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove his truck down Bourbon Street, crashing into New Year’s revelers and resulting in 14 fatalities and numerous injuries. Prior to this attack, Jabbar, who was ultimately shot by police, had placed multiple bombs in coolers around the French Quarter, none of which detonated. Authorities indicated that Jabbar was inspired by the Islamic State group.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.