FBI Arrests California Man for Allegedly Funding ISIS: ‘Soon, I’ll Be Joining’
The FBI has arrested a man in California on charges of attempting to provide financial support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organisation, according to a statement issued by the US Department of Justice on Friday (local time).
The accused, identified as 28-year-old Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, a permanent resident of the US originally from the Philippines, now faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years for allegedly trying to offer material assistance to ISIS.
Officials stated that Villanueva had been in contact with two individuals who claimed to be ISIS fighters through social media platforms earlier this year.
During these online interactions, Villanueva reportedly expressed his willingness to support the terrorist outfit and even offered to send money to fund their operations.
“It’s an honour to fight and die for our religion. That’s the best path to heaven. Very soon, I’ll be joining,” he wrote in one of the messages, as per a CNN report.
According to records from Western Union cited by the Department of Justice, Villanueva sent 12 money transfers totalling $1,615 over a five-month period to two middlemen who were able to access the funds abroad.
When FBI officers arrested him, they discovered what looked like an explosive device in his bedroom. Photographs of the suspected device were later shared on the FBI’s official social media platforms.
“Mr. Villanueva is accused of financially aiding and pledging loyalty to a terrorist organisation that threatens the United States and its global interests,” said Patrick Grandy, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, as quoted by CNN.
Earlier this year, another individual — Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, a 19-year-old ex-member of the Michigan Army National Guard — was taken into custody for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at a military base in Michigan.
