Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 29, pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS and to being a felon in possession of a firearm after allegedly sending 12 Western Union payments totaling $1,615 to intermediaries he believed were linked to ISIS. FBI agents recovered a homemade explosive device packed with ball bearings and metal fragments from his Long Beach home during an August 2025 search. Villanueva faces up to 20 years on the terrorism charge and up to 15 years on the gun charge; sentencing is set for June 17.
Southern California Man Pleads Guilty to Funding ISIS, Stockpiling Homemade Bomb and Discussing U.S. Attacks
American extremist admits bankrolling ISIS terrorists, plotting US violence with homemade bomb: feds
Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 29, of Long Beach, California, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, the Justice Department said.
According to the plea agreement and court records, Villanueva began communicating in February 2025 via social media with individuals who identified themselves as members of ISIS. Prosecutors say he sent a total of 12 Western Union payments, amounting to $1,615, over several months to intermediaries overseas, believing the funds would be used to purchase weapons, ammunition and other supplies to support ISIS operations.
Mark Lorenzo VillanuevA in a booking photo. Federal prosecutors said Villanueva of Long Beach pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.(Fox News)
Court documents show Villanueva repeatedly expressed a desire to fight for ISIS and discussed carrying out attacks in the United States. In one alleged message he wrote,
"It’s an honor to fight and die for our faith. It’s the best way to go to heaven. Someday soon, I’ll be joining."
Villanueva also told one contact he possessed a bomb and knives. When FBI agents executed a search warrant at his Long Beach residence in August 2025, they recovered a homemade explosive device from his bedroom packed with ball bearings, nails, screws and other metal fragments. Prosecutors say Villanueva understood the device met federal definitions of both a firearm and a destructive device and that it was not registered.
Mark Lorenzo Villanueva admitted attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
At the time of his arrest, Villanueva was legally prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony stalking conviction entered in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2017.
The charges carry significant prison exposure: up to 20 years for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and up to 15 years for unlawful possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang scheduled sentencing for June 17.
The FBI arrested Mark Lorenzo Villanueva for attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli emphasized the national security risk posed by providing support to terrorist groups, saying,
"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 FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director Patrick Grandy credited the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force with preventing additional support for ISIS and disrupting any further efforts tied to Villanueva.
The case remains under investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. The Justice Department and federal law enforcement officials said Villanueva has been held in federal custody since his August 2025 arrest.
Help us improve.
