A federal jury convicted 49-year-old Gregory Vandenberg of transporting explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate in connection with planned "No Kings Day" protests in California. Prosecutors say he bought six large mortar fireworks in New Mexico and told a clerk he planned to throw them at police. He was arrested in Arizona after employees reported him; agents found extremist clothing and antisemitic messages on his phone. Vandenberg remains in custody and faces up to 10 years in prison.
Former Navy SEAL Convicted Over Plot to Use Mortar Fireworks Against Police at California 'No Kings Day' Protests
Courtroom sketch shows the sentencing phase for the former Navy SEAL convicted in the No Kings protest plot. (United States Attorney’s Office District of New Mexico)
A federal jury on Friday convicted 49-year-old Gregory Vandenberg of transporting explosives with the intent to kill, injure or intimidate in connection with planned "No Kings Day" protests in California, the Department of Justice announced.
Details Of The Conviction
Following a five-day jury trial and roughly three hours of deliberation, the jury found Vandenberg guilty of transportation of explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempted transportation of prohibited fireworks into California. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Alleged Plot And Arrest
Prosecutors say Vandenberg was traveling from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego, California, to attend June 2025 "No Kings Day" protests. While stopping in New Mexico, he purchased six large mortar-style fireworks. According to the DOJ, Vandenberg told a store clerk he intended to throw the fireworks at police officers and asked detailed technical questions about the fireworks’ gunpowder content, explosive impact and potential to harm people.
Alarmed employees recorded his license plate and notified law enforcement. He was later arrested in Arizona, where federal agents found clothing bearing antisemitic, anti-Israel and other extremist symbols, including a shirt displaying an image associated with Al-Qaeda. A review of his phone uncovered messages expressing anger toward the U.S. government and assertions that the government was controlled by Israel and Jewish people.
"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," Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison said. "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."
Next Steps
The court ordered Vandenberg to remain in federal custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. The DOJ said he faces up to 10 years in prison under the charges on which he was convicted.
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