What does a VBIED and Manpad mean? Inside Matthew Livelsberger's email manifesto uncovered by Shawn Ryan

Podcaster Shawn Ryan recently shared an episode on The Shawn Ryan Show about an apparent manifesto allegedly sent by Matthew Livelsberger. Ryan took to X on January 3 and shared screenshots of an email that was sent to Intelligence Officer Sam Shoemate from someone who claimed to be Matthew.

The email sent to Shoemate was dated December 31, 2024 morning, and the sender first mentioned not to reveal their identity until January 1, 2025. It first said that the drones over New Jersey were apparently from China and used "gravitic propulsion systems." The email states it would be "the most dangerous threat to national security that has ever existed."

Elsewhere in the mail, the sender wrote:

"I've been followed for over a week now from likely homeland or FBI, and they are looking to move on me and are unlikely going to let me cross into Mexico, but won't because they know I am armed and I have a massive VBIED..."

VBIED, aka Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device, is an improvised explosive device meant to be detonated in an automobile. According to the New York City Police Department, a VBIED has the capability of causing massive damage. Due to the extent of damage, terrorists often detonate VBIEDs in vehicles parked outside a building, as per the article.

Shoemate, who later appeared on The Shawn Ryan Show, revealed that the e-mail sender first contacted him on Sunday, December 29, 2024. On the show, he further added that he had sources that indicated that Iranian-made MANPADs had come across the border. He said:

"We had two solid sources, one south of the border and then one from an element within our own government that confirmed independently of each other that some Iranian-made MANPADs had come across the border."

MANPADS, aka man-portable air defense systems, are "surface-to-air missiles that can be fired by an individual or a small team of people against aircraft," as described by the Arms Control Association.

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Authorities are yet to validate the e-mails sent by the individual claiming to be Matthew Livelsberger

The writer, who claimed to be Matthew Livelsberger, further alleged that China was planning to attack the US and that World War III was about to happen. The email concluded with the sender urging Shoemate not to respond to his mail and instead wait for his update.

On the podcast, Shoemate stated that he was initially skeptical because he couldn't verify the claims in the mail. In response, the alleged Matthew Livelsberger suggested putting him in connection with Shawn Ryan, Fox News, and Pete Hegseth.

To verify his identity, the user also mentioned in the email that the first car he ever possessed was a 2006 Black Ford Mustang V6. According to Newsweek, the FBI is also investigating whether the manifesto was legit and whether the sender was Matthew Livelsberger.

As per The New York Post, on January 3, authorities mentioned that they had recovered two notes from a charred cellphone that was inside the Tesla that Matthew allegedly rented. In one of the notes, Matthew Livelsberger wrote that the explosion "was not a terrorist attack."

Meanwhile, the same media outlet also reported that Matthew was suffering from PTSD and several other issues, which possibly led to such an incident. The case is now an ongoing investigation.