Iranian American Woman Arrested at LAX Over Arms Trafficking Ties to Tehran
Iranian American Woman Arrested at LAX Over Arms Trafficking Ties to Tehran
California woman accused of brokering drones and weapons for the Iranian government to Africa, including Sudan, through a U.S.-based company.
A California woman was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of brokering arms deals on behalf of the Iranian government, federal prosecutors say. Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was detained Saturday night by federal agents as part of an investigation into illicit weapons trafficking to Africa, including contacts in Sudan. Mafi is charged with brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured abroad, according to filings by the U.S. attorney for the central district of California.
According to authorities, Mafi and a co-conspirator—whose name has not been released—operated through their company Atlas International. The alleged deals spanned several locations, including California, and involved the Iranian government supplying drones to Sudan’s ministry of defense in a contract valued at more than €60 million. Records indicate Mafi personally earned about €6 million in payment after coordinating the Sudanese delegation’s travel to Iran.
Mafi, an Iranian national, has been a lawful permanent resident of the United States since 2016. Federal filings show she lived in Istanbul from 2013 to 2016 and later traveled frequently to Iran, Turkey, and Oman. In interviews with federal officials, she described her first husband as an officer with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. Photos posted on social media reportedly show Mafi with weapons at a warehouse in Turkey and enjoying time in California, though those images are not evidence of guilt on their own.
The allegations come as Sudan has waged a civil war since 2023, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and mass displacement. The criminal complaint paints a picture of a transnational network alleged to have facilitated the transfer of Iranian-made drones and other arms to foreign authorities, with operations said to have involved at least one intermediary company and multiple jurisdictions. Prosecutors say the case remains under active investigation and that further charges could follow as more evidence is reviewed.
