Former Navy SEAL sentenced to 16 months police bomb plot

A former U.S. Navy SEAL was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison on Monday, July -27, 2026, for planning to use explosives against law enforcement officers at a protest in California in 2025. Gregory Vandenberg, 49, was convicted earlier this year after a five-day trial on charges of transporting explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempting to bring prohibited fireworks into California.

The plot was foiled in June 2025 when Vandenberg, traveling from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego for a "No Kings Day" protest scheduled for June 14, stopped at a travel center near Lordsburg, New Mexico. There, he purchased six large mortar fireworks and 72 M150 firecrackers. According to federal authorities, he told a store clerk he intended to throw the explosives at police officers during the upcoming demonstrations. He asked detailed questions about the gunpowder content, explosive force, and potential to injure people, and discussed taping multiple fireworks together to increase their power. He also encouraged the clerk to attend the protests and distribute fireworks to others.

Alarmed by the conversation, store employees recorded Vandenberg's license plate number and...