A FILIPINO green card holder has been arrested in Long Beach, California for allegedly sending money to the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), according to the US Department of Justice.
Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 28, a permanent resident from the Philippines, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a felony offense that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, the US DOJ said.
Villanueva made his initial appearance on Monday afternoon before the US District Court in Los Angeles.
“Supporting a terrorist group, whether at home or abroad, is a serious risk to our national security. We will aggressively hunt down and prosecute anyone who provides support or comfort to our enemies,” Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli said.
Villanueva is alleged to have sent 12 payments, totaling $1,615 during a five-month period, to two intermediaries who accessed the money overseas.
Patrick Grandy, acting assistant director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said Villanueva allegedly provide financial support and pledged his allegiance to a terror group that targets the US and its interests abroad.
Grandy said Villanueva was arrested on August 1 by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI.
The complaint said Villanueva communicated via social media with two individuals who self-identified as ISIS fighters. It added that during these communications, Villanueva discussed his desire to support ISIS, and offered to send money to the ISIS fighters to support their terrorist activities.
Villanueva is also alleged to have told one of the self-identified ISIS fighters that he wanted to fight for ISIS himself, stating, “It’s an honor to fight and die for our faith. It’s the best way to go to heaven.”
Villanueva also told the other individual that he possessed a bomb and knives.
During his arrest, the FBI recovered what appeared to be a bomb from his bedroom, the complaint said. Also, in a February 2025 message with one of the self-identified ISIS fighters, Villanueva allegedly offered to send the individual money, and asked whether the money would “cover your equipment and your weapons.”
