As Long Beach protesters prepared for their anti white-nationalist rally Sunday at Bluff Park, a Reseda man was plotting behind the scenes to cause mass casualties at the event in the name of ISIS.
A 30-page affidavit reveals that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted an undercover operation to intercept Reseda resident Mark Steven Domingo’s plot to “manufacture and use a weapon of mass destruction in order to commit mass murder.”
Per the document, Domingo purchased on April 23 and April 24 several hundred nails with the purpose of using them as shrapnel for an explosive device. Domingo was collaborating a terrorist plot with whom he believed to be an accomplice but was really an undercover law-enforcement officer with the FBI.
The undercover officer’s role in the investigation was to purportedly manufacture weapons for an upcoming attack. Domingo provided the officer items to inspect and develop– although the affidavit shows that the weapons were “inert.”
The City of Long Beach released a statement April 29 in response to the incident. The protest– scheduled for Sunday, April 28, at 10am at Long Beach’s Bluff Park– was organized as an anti-rally against members of the United Patriots National Front (UPNF), who were allegedly organizing a rally of their own on-site.
Although UPNF members did not unite that morning, the City states that about 200 counter-protesters were at the event Sunday.
The City also stated that the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) “heavily monitored” the protest, which concluded with no issues.
The LBPD worked closely with regional and federal partners to “review and assess information related to the event.”
[related title=”Related Stories” stories=”41750,41701″ align=”left” background=”on” border=”all” shadow=”on”]“Due to the ongoing and close coordination with our outside partners, and the contingency plans that were developed, we were confident that the safety of our community members was never compromised,” said LBPD Police Chief Robert Luna.
U.S. Department of Defense records show that Domingo was an active duty U.S. Army infantryman who was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky., and then deployed to Afghanistan from Sept 10, 2012, to Jan. 16, 2013.
The public document shows that FBI agents reviewed website posts provided by an online covert employee in March 2019 that indicated Domingo’s support of violent terrorist and jihad activities.
On March 3, 2019, Domingo posted the following (corrected for grammar): “America needs another Vegas event […],” the post reads, referencing a 2017 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 59 people. “[…] It’s about weakening America [and] giving them a taste of terror they gladly spread all over the world.”
In another instance, Domingo expressed sadness about a March 13, 2019, mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, where 50 people were killed.
Domingo said in his post that he wanted to “shed” the blood of those causing harm to his Muslim “brothers and sisters.” FBI investigators believe, according to the affidavit, that the New Zealand mass shooting was the primary motivator in Domingo’s desire to plan a terrorist attack.
Private conversations between the investigator and Domingo show the latter’s anger with the New Zealand shooting and his need to cause a “retaliatory response.”
According to a law-enforcement database, Domingo had three firearms registered in his name: two semi-automatic rifles and a bolt-action rifle.
At some point, Domingo concluded that Sunday’s rally was his target, after mulling other possible options around the county. Per the document, Domingo told the undercover investigator about different methods to conduct the attack, such as a drive-by shooting or the use of an improvised explosive device (IED).
Eventually settling on the use of an IED, Domingo and the undercover officer surveyed the area of Bluff Park the evening before the rally. When Domingo was transporting one of the IEDs to the undercover officer’s vehicle, FBI officers appeared and arrested the Reseda man.
On Monday in downtown Los Angeles, FBI investigators hosted a press conference to discuss the incident. That same day, Domingo appeared in court to face charges.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
The affidavit can be read in its entirety at bit.ly/2LjtRo6.
