Long Beach man arrested on federal criminal complaint charging him with sending a dozen payments to suspected ISIS terrorists

LOS ANGELES — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles participated in the arrest of a Long Beach man Aug. 1 on a federal criminal complaint alleging he sent a dozen payments to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 28, is 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.

Villanueva, who is a lawful permanent resident from the Philippines, is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

“Supporting a terrorist group, whether at home or abroad, is a serious risk to our national security,” said acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “We will aggressively hunt down and prosecute anyone who provides support or comfort to our enemies.”

“Mr. Villanueva is alleged to have financially supported and pledged his allegiance to a terror group that targets the U.S. and our interests around the world,” said acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office Patrick Grandy. “Thanks to the proactive efforts by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI and our partners, we safely arrested Mr. Villanueva today and prevented further support and spreading of ISIS ideology.”

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