The shutdown of Interstate 5 brings a tough, new battle between Trump, California

Gridlock reigned on one of California’s most vital thoroughfares Saturday after state officials closed a 17-mile stretch of Interstate 5 in response to a pre-planned incident in which a live fire cannon was fired along the freeway at Camp Pendleton.

The complete closure of the main route between Los Angeles and San Diego was brief, but it caused major traffic jams in San Diego and Orange counties. Exits from the freeway to surface streets were blocked. Many drivers are forced to jam Interstate 15. Domestic travel time from LA to San Diego increased by up to three hours as of Saturday afternoon. It was an hour delay under normal circumstances. By 5 p.m., traffic had finally returned to normal and most of Interstate 5 was moving at normal speeds.

The shutdown marked another clash between the Trump administration and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom criticized the White House for failing to coordinate or share safety information ahead of the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary celebration, which featured Vice President JD Vance.

“It is not safe for people to drive at high speed directly under live mines,” his office wrote in X. His office wrote in X: “The White House doesn’t communicate, puts people at risk, and then tries to blame the governor for doing the right thing – keeping people out of harm’s way – another day living in Trump’s authoritarian America.”

Agency officials said the Camp Pendleton incident was completely safe and did not require highway closures.

“Gavin Newsom wants people to think this practice is dangerous,” William Martin, director of communications for Venus, said in a statement.

Military helicopters take off from Camp Pendleton during the temporary closure of Interstate 5 on Saturday.

(Jonathan Alcorn/For The Times)

Oceanside Police Deputy Chief John McCann said while the full shutdown lasted only about an hour, the California Highway Patrol was planning to conduct a traffic stop when the ammunition was fired.

“It’s not like they’re going to hit explosives or anything like that, it’s just loud, and that might scare them. [drivers] When the rounds start, because it’s going to be good for 15 or 20 minutes,” McCain said.

Saturday morning the southbound 5 Freeway was shut down about half a mile before the El Camino Real exit, the second-to-last exit before the previously announced interstate closure.

The previous three freeway exits — Avenida Palisade, Avenida Pico and Avenida Vista Hermosa — all had freeway signs warning of a rapid closure.

Drivers who were brave or foolish enough to move beyond the Avenida Palisade spent at least 30 minutes trying to get off the freeway.

San Clemente City Councilman Mark Enmeyer said the road closure came “completely out of the blue” and he learned about it, as did many residents, on Saturday morning when the Orange County Sheriff’s Department announced it publicly on Instagram.

“There was no coordination with any local authority on this,” Enmeyer said. Or if there was, he said, “I wasn’t aware of it.”

Interstate 5 was temporarily closed Saturday after military officials confirmed that live fire artillery would be fired along the route.

(Jonathan Alcorn/For The Times)

By mid-morning, the closure stretched from Harbor Drive in Oceanside to Basilone Road near San Onofre.

Some vehicles on the interstate illegally turned nearly 90 degrees onto the southbound freeway to bypass the barrier, exiting the empty El Camino Real onramp for about 15 minutes. A California Highway Patrol officer eventually drove up the ramp and blocked access.

McCain told the Times he was in meetings with Camp Pendleton officials about the celebration last month. The interstate shutdown “overnight came from Governor Newsom’s office.”

In a statement to The Times, the city of Oceanside said it was notified of the interstate closure at 7:30 a.m. via an update from the California Highway Patrol.

“The Marine Corps didn’t even know about it [the interstate] To close, it was something from Sacramento to CallTrans to CHP,” McCain said.

The police assistant has lived in the Seaside area since 1996 and said this is the first time “I can remember closing I-5, other than a fire drill, that’s not normal.”

McCain also said he spent 20 years in the Marine Corps and “I’ve had artillery fire on me a lot of times,” but he said, “It can be a deterrent for drivers for sure, and I think the governor is doing it very carefully.”

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The governor’s office said it was notified earlier in the week that the White House was considering closing the freeway, and when no order came into effect by Wednesday, state officials began considering whether to do it themselves. Driving the decision, they said, were safety concerns over reports that live ammunition would be dropped on the freeway and base.

Newsom’s office said Thursday that it had been told no live fires would be moving along the route, only to learn Friday that military event organizers had asked the California Department of Transportation for a sign along I-5 that read “head fire in progress.”

Earlier Saturday morning, the state was told that live demonstrations were taking place along the freeway around 1:30 p.m., prompting California Highway Patrol officials to recommend closing the freeway due to a potential safety hazard and the possibility that it would distract drivers.

In San Clemente, SC Cafe’s Saturday brunch specials included mimosas, Bloody Marys and beer with avocado toast, eggs Benedict and breakfast burritos.

Almost every table at the corner diner along the 5 freeway was filled with locals and seasoned European tourists.

Still, business was “a little slow” that day, according to employee and cafe owner Joy Abe Lutfi, in part because of the road closure.

“I heard about the traffic on the news the day before and wasn’t quite sure what to think,” said Abi Lutfi. “It’s the give and take of owning a restaurant next to a freeway ramp.”

Abi Lutfi said the traffic and slowness have been beneficial to his business in the past.

Jack-knifed big rigs translate from day-to-day facilities to desperate drivers from 7am to 2am.

“People will wait for the traffic with some food,” Abi Lutfi said. who has owned the restaurant for 27 years.

Abiy Lutfi said he was not happy about the shutdown, despite slower-than-usual business, due to the government’s show of force in firing weapons.

“What a great use of funds,” he said with a sneer over his restaurant’s Changsi Salsa.

A bicyclist walks around a safety cone indicating that the Interstate 5 freeway is closed Saturday.

(Jonathan Alcorn/For The Times)

Saturday’s shutdown deepened tensions between California and the Trump administration — which has escalated in recent months after the White House deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell protests, stepped up immigration crackdowns and pressured California universities to conform to his agenda.

For Enmeyer, the live ammunition incident is a “show of power on behalf of a few individuals” that is likely deliberately timed to today’s massive protest. Additionally, he said the highway closure is a source of unnecessary financial stress.

“Not only are we paying as taxpayers to show this power, we’re also losing money,” Enmeyer said. “I mean, it’s a major arterial road, and there’s no other way than an hour and a half drive from Orange County to San Diego.”

The Marine Corps said in a statement that Saturday will be “a historic demonstration of immersive capabilities, demonstrating the strength and unity of the Navy-Marine Corps team and ensuring we are ready to defend the homeland and our nation’s interests overseas.”

A Navy spokesman said the artillery was fired from Red Beach on Friday evening at designated ranges as part of a dressage exercise.

“M777 artillery has historically been fired from land-based artillery firing points west of I-5 during routine training within existing safety protocols and without the need for lane closures into impact areas east of the interstate,” the statement said. “This is an established and safe practice.”

The event lasted about an hour and involved nine warships and helicopters that “launched an assault on the beach around 5 p.m., drawing cheers from an estimated 15,000 attendees, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“Standing here, you can feel the weight of history, generations of Americans who cut their teeth on this base, get on ships and fly the American flag. But that’s what the Marines do,” Vance said.

“From these mountains and these waters, Marines have been deployed to every major conflict in the last century. From islands across the Pacific to Helmand province and beyond,” he added.

The military show of force coincided with “No Kings” rallies and demonstrations across the state on Saturday challenging President Trump and what critics say is government interference. Dozens of protests are scheduled for Saturday in Southern California, with more than 2,700 expected nationwide.

During the “No Kings” protests in June, Trump held a military parade in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, which included a 21-gun salute.

“Using our military to intimidate people you don’t agree with is not force — it’s reckless, it’s disrespectful, and it’s beneath the office that he holds,” Newsom said in a statement. “Law and order? It’s chaos and disorder.”

The Marine Corps said in a statement to The Times on Thursday that a detailed risk assessment had been conducted and that “no highways or transportation routes will be closed” for the event, titled “From Sea to Shore – Amphibious Force Review.”

No weapons will be fired from a US Navy ship during the event, but Marines will fire high-explosive rounds from M777 howitzers at designated ranges “with all safety precautions,” said Capt. Simulated explosives and visual effects will also be used, he said.

The Trump administration had already planned a major celebration next month for the 250th anniversary of the Navy and Marine Corps, which would include an air and sea show — with the Blue Angels and parading warships — that Trump would attend, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Plans to host that show in San Diego have been scrapped, the paper reports.

Camp Pendleton is a 125,000-acre base in northwestern San Diego County that, thanks to miles of beach and coastal hills, has been critical in preparing troops for amphibious missions since World War II. The US Department of Defense is considering making part of the base available for development or leasing.