Southwest
Former Navy SEAL convicted for trying to harm police with explosives during California ‘No Kings’ protests
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A former U.S. Navy SEAL was convicted by a federal jury on Friday of transporting explosives with the intent to harm law enforcement officers during planned “No Kings Day” protests in California, prosecutors announced.
The Department of Justice said Gregory Vandenberg, 49, was convicted of transportation of explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempted transportation of prohibited fireworks into California after a five-day jury trial and roughly three hours of deliberation.
Prosecutors said Vandenberg was traveling from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego, California, to attend the “No Kings Day” protests in June 2025 when he stopped in New Mexico to purchase six large mortar fireworks.
“During this visit, he told the store clerk that he intended to throw fireworks at police officers at the upcoming protests. He asked detailed questions about the amount of gunpowder in the fireworks, their explosive impact, and their ability to harm others,” the DOJ said.
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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)
Store employees became alarmed after Vandenberg repeatedly spoke about throwing fireworks at police and asked whether the store was going to track him, prompting them to record his license plate and contact law enforcement.
He was arrested in Arizona where federal agents discovered clothing displaying antisemitic, anti-Israel, and extremist symbols, including a t-shirt with an image of the Al-Qaeda flag.
A review of his phone also uncovered messages indicating Vandenberg harbored anger toward the U.S. government, including President Donald Trump, driven by his belief that the government was controlled by Israel and Jews.
Federal agents stand by evidence after a jury found the ex-SEAL guilty of trying to harm law enforcement with explosives. (United States Attorney’s Office District of New Mexico)
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“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.”
Law enforcement officials at the No Kings protest reveal explosive materials linked to the former Navy SEAL suspect. (United States Attorney’s Office District of New Mexico)
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The DOJ said the court ordered that Vandenberg remain in custody pending sentencing following the verdict, which hasn’t yet been scheduled.
He faces 10 years in prison.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Rip tides, high surf forecast for Los Angeles beaches this weekend
Dangerous rip currents and high surf are forecast for Los Angeles County beaches, including the Malibu Coast this weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous beach statement, warning of the potentially deadly beach conditions. The dangerous conditions are forecast to last from Saturday evening to Monday morning.
“There is an increased risk of ocean drowning,” the NWS forecast reads. “Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats nearshore.”
Minor Beach erosion and coastal flooding is possible through the weekend. The flooding is most likely to occur during evening high tides from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Beachgoers are advised to stay out of the water and remain near lifeguard towers. Jetties and tidepools are also especially dangerous during the weekend forecast.
“Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks,” the NWS forecast reads.
Similar hazardous beach conditions are also in the forecast for Santa Barbara County. A high surf advisory is also in effect for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties this weekend, where 10 to 15-foot waves will be possible.
Los Angeles, Ca
Los Angeles releases searchable list of worst rental properties
If you live or want to live in Los Angeles, the city controller has released a new dashboard highlighting some of the city’s most notorious problem rental properties, a tool designed to help renters avoid future headaches.
“This project comes at a time when tenants are reporting harassment and illegal evictions violating the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance and Tenant Anti‑Harassment Ordinance, but very few of the complaints end up leading to strong enforcement or real accountability,” L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia said in a media release Thursday.
The new Top 100 Problem Rental Properties dashboard includes a searchable database of all residential addresses with reported housing violation cases within the city of Los Angeles, a ranked list of the 100 addresses with the most violations and an interactive map.
“There has never before been an uncomplicated way for anyone to look up years’ worth of violations by address,” Mejia said in the release.
Data for the dashboard was compiled from multiple sources, including the Los Angeles Housing Department, Los Angeles City Planning and the L.A. County Assessor’s Office, according to the controller’s office.
The release also identified the top three addresses with the highest number of reported housing violations:
1. 636 1/2 North Hill Place, Chinatown
192 housing violation cases
2. 11700 West Wilshire Boulevard, Sawtelle
166 housing violation cases
3. 6650 West Forest Lawn Drive, Hollywood Hills
113 housing violation cases
“Our new dashboard is an easy‑to‑understand public tool that we hope will help renters and organizers document patterns of harm, as well as put pressure on both landlords and the City to act,” Mejia said. “Everyone deserves safe, stable and dignified housing.”
Los Angeles, Ca
Millions of dollars worth of counterfeit luxury goods found in downtown L.A. bust
Authorities discovered millions of dollars worth of counterfeit luxury goods in a downtown Los Angeles bust.
On May 14, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at two locations — a retail store in the 500 Block of South Los Angeles Street and a commercial warehouse in the 500 Block of Main Street.
Inside the warehouse, deputies found a significant amount of counterfeit luxury merchandise. In total, the retail value of the goods was estimated between $5 million and $10 million.
Two unidentified suspects, a man and a woman, were taken into custody.
“This remains an active investigation,” LASD said. “Additional arrests or charges are possible as the case progresses.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call LASD’s Major Crimes Bureau’s Tip Line at 562-946-7893.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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