Federal authorities said a 49-year-old former Navy SEAL has been sentenced to prison after purchasing fireworks in New Mexico and planning to use them against law enforcement during protests in California.
According to federal prosecutors, Gregory Vandenberg was traveling from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego on June 12, 2025, to attend the “No Kings Day” protests scheduled for June 14.
During a stop in New Mexico, Vandenberg visited a travel center off Interstate 10 near Lordsburg, where he purchased multiple fireworks. Court records said he told a store clerk he intended to throw the fireworks at police officers during the protests.
Store employees notified law enforcement after Vandenberg allegedly asked detailed questions about the amount of gunpowder in the fireworks, their impact and their potential to injure people. Authorities said he also attempted to persuade employees to join him at the protest.
Employees recorded his vehicle’s license plate and provided the information to investigators.
Federal agents tracked Vandenberg to Tucson, Arizona, where he was arrested the following morning while sleeping in his vehicle near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Investigators said Vandenberg initially claimed he was traveling for work despite being unemployed and later falsely told authorities he was visiting friends in Phoenix for the weekend.
Investigators found extremist material
A search of Vandenberg’s vehicle uncovered the fireworks he had purchased, along with clothing displaying antisemitic, anti-Israel and extremist imagery, according to court records. Investigators said the clothing included a shirt bearing an Al-Qaeda flag and another calling for the destruction of Judea.
Authorities also examined his cellphone and found a Taliban flag displayed on the device, prosecutors said. Investigators further determined that Vandenberg wore a custom-made shirt bearing the word “AMALEK” during his visit to the travel center. Prosecutors said the term was intended as a reference to the biblical Amalek and reflected antisemitic beliefs.
Court records said investigators also found antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-U.S. and extremist content on the phone, including internet searches and messages expressing hostility toward Jews and Israel.
According to prosecutors, investigators concluded Vandenberg believed the U.S. government was controlled by Israel and Jewish people and that those beliefs motivated his plan to target law enforcement officers during the protests.
Prosecutors claimed his extremist and antisemitic views were a motivating factor in the offenses and posed a significant threat to public safety.
Conviction and sentence
On Jan. 12, 2026, after a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted Vandenberg of transporting explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempting to transport prohibited fireworks into California.
A federal judge later sentenced him to prison. Upon his release, Vandenberg will serve one year of supervised release.
