A 44-year-old Iranian American woman has been arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of trafficking weapons on behalf of the Iranian government to contacts in Africa, including Sudan.
Shamim Mafi, a lawful permanent resident of the United States since 2016, was detained on Saturday night by federal agents. The top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, Bill Essayli, announced the charges, which allege Mafi brokered the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition.
According to a criminal complaint, Mafi frequently travels to Iran, Turkey and Oman, and lived in Istanbul from 2013 to 2016. In an interview with officials, she stated that her first husband was an officer for Iran's ministry of intelligence and security.
Mafi and an unnamed co-conspirator allegedly conducted illegal weapons deals through their company, Atlas International, with operations in several locations including California. One deal involved facilitating the sale of Iranian-manufactured drones to Sudan's ministry of defence, valued at over €60 million, for which Mafi reportedly earned €6 million after coordinating the Sudanese delegation's travel to Iran.
Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war since 2023, causing hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and displacing over 13 million people. Social media posts show Mafi posing with weapons at a warehouse in Turkey and enjoying a beach day in California.
If convicted, Mafi faces up to 20 years in federal prison. She is expected to appear in court on Monday at the US District Court in Los Angeles.
