BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A potential attack in New Orleans was thwarted after the arrest of 28-year-old Micah James Legnon, an ex-Marine, who was en route to the city with firearms and body armor, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press. Legnon has been charged with making threats in interstate commerce, with federal authorities indicating that they had been monitoring him due to his connections with an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group.
Legnon's apprehension came in the wake of a separate operation in Southern California where four members of the same group were arrested for allegedly plotting to bomb multiple businesses on New Year’s Eve. These arrests were part of a larger enforcement push that has also seen operations in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte, North Carolina, aimed at apprehending thousands of undocumented immigrants in the crackdown dubbed "Catahoula Crunch."
Federal authorities revealed that Legnon harbored intentions to "recreate" the infamous Waco siege during an attack in New Orleans. A Dec. 4 message shared in an online chat under the alias "Kateri The Witch" indicated this desire, occurring shortly after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began operations in the New Orleans area. Despite the alias suggesting a female identity, jail records indicated that Legnon is male.
Investigators closely tracked Legnon's activities, which intensified after his troubling chat message. He appeared to be preparing for an attack by placing a weapon in his vehicle and stating in a group chat that he was "on my way" to New Orleans. He accompanied this message with a video showcasing a gun and tactical gear, captioned with "just in case."
Upon Legnon's arrest on December 12, authorities recovered an assault rifle, a pistol, a gas canister, and body armor from his vehicle. In his apartment located in New Iberia, Louisiana, agents discovered sniper and SWAT training manuals, along with additional firearms and ammunition.
Court records did not provide any information regarding an attorney representing Legnon, and inquiries to both the Office of the State Public Defender and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana yielded no responses. Jail officials also lacked clarity on his legal representation.
According to officials, Legnon is believed to be affiliated with the Turtle Island Liberation Front, a group that advocates for "liberation through decolonization tribal sovereignty." This organization has been characterized by federal authorities as far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist.
The context of the incipient violence parallels previous plots where groups discussed targeting ICE agents and using explosives, echoing dangerous intentions reminiscent of methods seen in a recent attack in New Orleans' French Quarter.
In January 2025, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, inspired by extremist ideologies, drove his truck through Bourbon Street, resulting in the tragic deaths of 14 people and injuring many others. Just prior to the attack, Jabbar had placed multiple bombs throughout the area, none of which detonated. These chilling parallels underscore the significant threat posed by such extremist groups.
Sara Cline (), The Associated Press
