<p>-
- California man arrested for allegedly sending money to ISIS</p>
<p>Karina Tsui, CNNAugust 2, 2025 at 2:59 AM</p>
<p>FBI agents in Los Angeles arrested 28-year-old Mark Lorenzo Villanueva of Long Beach on Friday, accusing him of trying to provide support to ISIS. - X/FBI Los Angeles</p>
<p>The FBI arrested on Friday a man in Long Beach, California, for allegedly sending money to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to the Department of Justice.</p>
<p>Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 28, a permanent US resident originally from the Philippines, faces up to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, the Justice Department said in a statement.</p>
<p>Investigators said Villanueva was in communication with two individuals who identified themselves as ISIS fighters via social media earlier this year.</p>
<p>In those messages, Villanueva allegedly expressed his desire to support ISIS and offered to send money to aid the group's activities.</p>
<p>"It's an honor to fight and die for our faith. It's the best way to go to heaven." Villanueva allegedly wrote to the ISIS fighters. "Someday soon, I'll be joining."</p>
<p>Over a five-month period, Villanueva sent 12 payments totaling $1,615 to two intermediaries who accessed the money overseas, according to Western Union records cited by the DOJ.</p>
<p>During his arrest, the FBI recovered what appeared to be a bomb from his bedroom, according to photos posted on the FBI's Facebook and X accounts.</p>
<p>"Mr. Villanueva is alleged to have financially supported and pledged his allegiance to a terror group that targets the United States and our interests around the world," said Patrick Grandy, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, a 19-year-old former member of the Michigan Army National Guard was arrested after he allegedly attempted to carry out a plan to conduct a mass shooting at a US military base in Michigan on behalf of ISIS.</p>
<p>Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said was arrested on the scheduled day of the attack, after he visited an area near the military base and launched a drone in support of the attack plan, according to the Justice Department.</p>
<p>He allegedly planned to attack the Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, which is located in a Detroit suburb and manages the Army's supply chain for tanks.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say he offered to help undercover law enforcement officers carry out the attack by training them to use firearms and make Molotov cocktails and by providing armor-piercing ammunitions and magazines for the attack.</p>
<p>Said was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and with distributing information related to a destructive device.</p>
<p>For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com</p>
<a href="https://data852.click/5a32cd58501e613bf372/ee0a75caf0/?placementName=default" class="dirlink-1">Original Article on Source</a>
Source: "AOL General News"
Source: AsherMag
Read More >> Full Article on Source: Astro Blog
#US #ShowBiz #Sports #Politics #Celebs