A federal jury in Albuquerque has found Gregory Vandenberg, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, guilty of transporting explosives with the intent to use them against law enforcement at the June 14, 2025 “No Kings Day” protests in California. The verdict followed a five-day trial and about three hours of jury deliberation.
Court records show that on June 12, 2025, Vandenberg traveled from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego, California. While passing through New Mexico, he stopped at a travel center near Lordsburg and purchased six large mortar fireworks and 72 M-150 firecrackers. During his purchase, Vandenberg told the store clerk he planned to throw fireworks at police officers during the upcoming protests. He asked questions about the gunpowder content and explosive impact of the items and discussed ways to increase their destructive power by taping them together. He made it clear that his interest was not in their visual display but solely in their ability to cause explosions and harm law enforcement.
Vandenberg also referenced his special forces background and encouraged the clerk to join him at the protests. He said he would distribute fireworks to others at the event and claimed he would not be injured because of his expertise. When asked for identification during purchase, he falsely stated he was not from the United States and questioned whether his purchase would be tracked. Store employees reported his comments to authorities after recording his license plate.
Federal agents located Vandenberg in Tucson, Arizona, where they arrested him while he slept in his car at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Upon questioning, Vandenberg gave conflicting stories about his travel purpose despite being unemployed.
A search of Vandenberg’s vehicle uncovered the fireworks along with clothing featuring antisemitic and extremist symbols such as t-shirts with images of the Al-Qaeda flag and slogans targeting Jews and Israel. Agents also found that Vandenberg’s phone displayed an image of the Taliban flag as its home screen and contained violent extremist content including antisemitic messages expressing anger toward both Israel and the U.S. government.
“People in this country are free to hold their own beliefs and to express them peacefully,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “What they are not free to do is use explosives to threaten or terrorize others. Vandenberg intended to turn explosives into a tool of intimidation, and this verdict sends the message that attempts to substitute violence for expressing one’s opinion has no place in our communities and will be met with federal consequences.”
Vandenberg was convicted on charges of transporting explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate as well as attempting to bring prohibited fireworks into California. He remains in custody pending sentencing; if convicted on all counts he faces up to ten years in prison.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including FBI offices in Albuquerque and Phoenix, Tucson Police Department, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations El Paso.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison announced the conviction alongside Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grant Gardner, Richard Williams, and Joni Stahl are prosecuting the case.
