FORMER U.S. NAVY SEAL SENTENCED FOR TRANSPORTING EXPLOSIVES INTENDED FOR USE AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT AT CALIFORNIA PROTESTS

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A former U.S. Navy SEAL convicted of transporting explosives that he intended to use against law enforcement officers during protests in California has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison.

Gregory Vandenberg, 49, received the sentence after prosecutors argued that his actions were motivated by extremist and antisemitic beliefs and presented a serious threat to police officers, demonstrators, and other members of the public.

There is no parole in the federal system. Following his release from prison, Vandenberg will serve one year of supervised release.

According to court records and evidence presented during his five-day federal trial, Vandenberg was traveling from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego, California, on June 12, 2025. His stated destination was the “No Kings Day” protests scheduled for June 14, 2025.

While traveling through New Mexico, Vandenberg stopped at a travel center near Interstate 10 in Lordsburg and purchased six large mortar fireworks designed to launch into the air and explode. He also purchased 72 M-150 firecrackers designed to produce sounds resembling gunfire.

During the transaction, Vandenberg told a store clerk that he planned to throw fireworks at police officers during the upcoming protests. He questioned the clerk about the amount of gunpowder inside the devices, their explosive force, their ability to injure people, and whether several fireworks could be taped together to produce a more powerful explosion.

Vandenberg made clear that he was not interested in the fireworks’ colors or visual displays. His questions focused on their ability to explode and injure law enforcement officers. He also encouraged the clerk to accompany him to the protests and discussed distributing fireworks to other people attending the event.

Travel-center employees became alarmed by his statements and repeated expressions of intent to use the devices against police officers. They recorded his vehicle’s license-plate number and contacted law enforcement, providing authorities with the information needed to identify and locate him before he reached California.

Federal agents tracked Vandenberg to Tucson, Arizona, and arrested him the following morning while he was sleeping inside his vehicle at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Vandenberg initially told investigators that he was traveling for work, although he was unemployed at the time. He later claimed that he planned to visit friends in Phoenix that weekend. Authorities determined that both explanations conflicted with his documented statements and travel plans.

A search of Vandenberg’s vehicle uncovered the fireworks purchased in Lordsburg and clothing carrying antisemitic, anti-Israel, and extremist imagery. The clothing included a shirt displaying the Al-Qaeda flag and another calling for the destruction of Judea. The home screen of Vandenberg’s phone displayed the Taliban flag.

Investigators also determined that Vandenberg wore a custom-made shirt bearing the word “AMALEK” when he visited the travel center. Vandenberg stated that the word meant “destroyer of Jews.”

A review of his phone uncovered additional antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-American, and extremist material. Court records described internet searches and messages expressing hostility toward Jewish people, Israel, and the United States.

Investigators found messages indicating that Vandenberg believed the United States government was controlled by Israel and Jewish people. Prosecutors argued that those beliefs contributed to his desire to target law enforcement officers during the protests and demonstrated that his conduct was driven by extremist and antisemitic views.

The potential danger extended beyond the officers Vandenberg discussed targeting. Explosive devices thrown into a protest involving law enforcement personnel, demonstrators, and bystanders could have caused physical injuries, panic, crowd movement, or a broader armed response. His arrest prevented the fireworks from reaching the planned protest.

On January 12, 2026, a federal jury convicted Vandenberg of transportation of explosives with intent to kill, injure, or intimidate and attempted transportation of prohibited fireworks into California. The convictions followed a five-day jury trial during which the federal government presented evidence concerning his purchases, recorded statements, travel plans, possessions, phone activity, and communications.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the sentence.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Tucson Resident Agency of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, the Tucson Police Department, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations El Paso.

The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case.

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