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15h ago

Long Beach Resident Arrested for Sending Funds to ISIS After FBI Seizes Suspected Bomb

The 28-year-old faces material support charges carrying a maximum 20-year sentence after wiring more than $1,600 to intermediaries overseas.

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The FBI recovered an apparent explosive device during a search of Villanueva’s home, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California.
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Overview

  • Court filings show Villanueva used social media to communicate with individuals claiming to be ISIS fighters and pledged to fight and die for their faith.
  • In February 2025 he offered to cover the fighters’ equipment and weapons by sending funds through intermediaries identified in Western Union records.
  • Federal agents arrested Villanueva on August 1 in Long Beach and recovered what appeared to be a bomb and knives from his bedroom.
  • He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and remains in federal custody pending trial.
  • Officials say the investigation by the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force illustrates efforts to disrupt domestic channels of terrorist financing.