California Highway Patrol officers salute at the annual Stockton Police Officers Association San Joaquin County Fallen Officers Memorial at the Stockton Police Operations Building in downtown Stockton on May 7, 2025.
San Diego, California – A Marine Corps training exercise meant to celebrate the military’s 250th anniversary at Camp Pendleton turned dangerous Saturday when an explosive detonated prematurely, sending shrapnel flying onto Interstate 5 and striking a California Highway Patrol vehicle assigned to Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail.
The incident happened around 1:46 p.m., according to the CHP, as officers were managing a traffic break near the Las Pulgas Road exit, just north of Oceanside. The blast — part of a live-ammunition demonstration at the base — was close enough that a piece of metal tore into the side of the CHP cruiser.
Photographs released by the agency show a jagged hole on the patrol car’s exterior, a clear reminder of how narrowly the situation avoided catastrophe. No injuries were reported.
Officials say the explosion occurred during a live ordnance exercise connected to the Marines’ anniversary celebration, an event attended by both Vice President Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The vice president’s security team was coordinating with local agencies, including the CHP, to control freeway traffic as part of the visit.
It remains unclear what caused the premature detonation. The Marine Corps has not released details about the specific type of ordnance involved, though Camp Pendleton routinely conducts live-fire training exercises on its extensive coastal range. The base is one of the country’s most active military installations, and the use of live explosives is common — though rarely, if ever, do those exercises affect nearby civilian areas.
The mishap immediately triggered an internal investigation, according to base officials. Military safety officers and federal investigators will review how the incident occurred, how far debris traveled, and whether standard safety procedures were followed.
For residents and travelers familiar with I-5 — a major artery that cuts through Southern California — the sight of law enforcement vehicles lining the shoulder near an active military base isn’t unusual. But Saturday’s incident underscored how close the country’s defense infrastructure often operates to civilian life.
Camp Pendleton borders more than 17 miles of freeway and coastline, making it both strategically valuable and publicly visible. Live-fire exercises have long been a routine part of training there, but they’re almost always contained within the base’s vast training ranges.
In this case, a routine demonstration turned into a brief but alarming moment — a reminder that even in controlled celebrations, live ammunition carries real risk.
