California: A man from California has been arrested on charges of providing financial support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 28, of Filipino descent, was apprehended by the FBI in Long Beach, California, on Friday. The Department of Justice stated that Villanueva could face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
FBI investigators revealed that Villanueva had communicated with two alleged ISIS members via social media earlier this year. In these messages, Villanueva reportedly expressed his desire to support ISIS and offered to send money for the group’s operations. Investigators found that Villanueva had sent a total of $1,615 USD in 12 separate transactions to foreign recipients over a five-month period. During a search of Mark Lorenzo Villanueva’s residence as part of the investigation, an object suspected to be a bomb was also discovered.
