Abdullah Bozkurt/Stockholm
A newly filed US federal complaint reveals that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues to receive funding routed through Turkey and that Syria’s new interim government has released convicted ISIS members from prison.
The details were made public July 31, 2025, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) filed the 23-page criminal complaint in the Central District of California against Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, a Long Beach resident and a lawful permanent resident from the Philippines, of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization in violation of US laws.
Villanueva (28) sent money to ISIS fighters in Syria through intermediaries operating in Turkey and Lebanon, exposing the militant group’s continuing use of the region as a financial and logistical lifeline, according to the complaint.
The case stems from an FBI counterterrorism probe that tracked encrypted social media communications, money transfers and contacts with self-proclaimed ISIS fighters embedded in Syria.
The FBI says Villanueva sent a total of 12 payments amounting to $1,615 between February and July 2025 via Western Union to two ISIS-linked operatives who were identified in the complaint only by the initials “M.H.S.” and “O.K.H.”
The FBI affidavit accused Villanueva of providing support to ISIS:
Transaction records reveal that recipients withdrew funds in Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey, with the latter serving as a key transit point. US investigators said the use of Turkish-based intermediaries fits a long-established ISIS tactic to move money into war zones while avoiding direct cross-border transfers into Syria, which are more likely to attract scrutiny.
According to the affidavit, Villanueva was introduced to one ISIS fighter in Syria, referred to as “Identified Person 1,” who claimed to have previously attempted a bombing against the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon. The fighter told an FBI undercover agent that Villanueva had sent him $200 to help with obtaining a passport and, if necessary, purchasing a weapon.
The fighter was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in Syria for his role in the bombing plot but was released when Ahmed al-Sharaa assumed control of Damascus by ousting the Bashar al-Assad government. In his communication with the undercover FBI agent, the fighter said, “When the Syrian regime fell, they ‘freed the brothers,’” which the agent interpreted as a reference to the release of ISIS members under the al-Sharaa interim government.
When asked if Villanueva was trustworthy, the Syrian-based fighter replied: “Yes, my brother, he is a very loyal and honest brother.” He then shared a Western Union receipt showing a transaction traceable to Villanueva’s Long Beach address.
Court documents reveal that Villanueva not only wired funds but also openly pledged his willingness to join ISIS on the battlefield. In one message, he told a fighter in Syria: “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.”
In earlier communications with another ISIS contact, identified in the affidavit as “Identified Person 2,” Villanueva discussed his familiarity with firearms and claimed to possess knives and an improvised explosive device (IED). This second contact sent him a photo of a handgun, noting it was “Turkish” in origin — highlighting another link to the country’s role as a conduit for weapons in the Syrian conflict.
The conversations also touched on logistical arrangements for travel to Syria. Identified Person 2 promised that if Villanueva came on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, he would host him in Syria and train him to use weapons amid what he described as “security chaos.”
While Turkey has officially designated ISIS as a terrorist organization and conducted periodic raids against its cells, intelligence reports and previous court cases have shown that ISIS financial couriers and facilitators have operated from Turkish cities, particularly along the southern border.
The Villanueva complaint aligns with these patterns, illustrating how even relatively small transfers can sustain fighters in Syria when routed through intermediaries in Turkey and neighboring states.
FBI Special Agent Ronald Steinhoff, who authored the affidavit, noted that such use of “cut-outs” in Turkey and Lebanon is consistent with ISIS tradecraft designed to disguise the ultimate recipient of funds and avoid law enforcement detection.
On August 1 Villanueva was arrested, and the FBI recovered what appeared to be a bomb from his bedroom. If convicted, Villanueva faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His case emphasizes the resilience of ISIS’s transnational financial network and the continued role of Turkey as a crucial hub for moving funds and resources into Syria, years after the group lost control of its self-proclaimed caliphate.
