A former U.S. Navy SEAL has been convicted for planning to use explosives against law enforcement during a "No Kings" protest in California. Gregory Vandenberg, 49, was sentenced to 16 months in jail following a jury trial in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Vandenberg traveled from Texas to San Diego for the "No Kings Day" protests on June 14, 2025. While en route, he stopped in New Mexico and purchased six large mortar fireworks and 72 M-1250 firecrackers. During the purchase, Vandenberg informed the clerk of his intention to throw fireworks at police officers and inquired about their effectiveness in harming others. He also attempted to recruit the clerk to join him at the protest.
Officials were alerted by the shop owner, and Vandenberg was arrested the following morning at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. Prosecutors stated that Vandenberg held antisemitic and extremist views, which they believe motivated his plot to target law enforcement. Evidence presented during the trial included a shirt bearing an Al-Qaeda flag, another referencing the destruction of Judea, and his phone's home screen displaying the Taliban flag.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison stated after Vandenberg's conviction in January, "People in this country are free to hold their own beliefs and to express them peacefully. 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."