Federal authorities arrested a 44-year-old Iranian woman at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night, accusing her of brokering the sale of armed drones, bombs, and millions of rounds of ammunition on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Sudan's military.
Shamim Mafi, a U.S. lawful permanent resident who lives in Los Angeles, was detained as she prepared to board a flight to Istanbul, according to the New York Post. Prosecutors charged her under 50 U.S.C. § 1705, a federal sanctions statute that carries up to 20 years in prison upon conviction.
The case strikes at the intersection of Iranian weapons proliferation, African conflict, and American national security enforcement. If the allegations hold, Mafi was not a bit player. Prosecutors say she served as a broker connecting Iran's defense establishment with Sudan's armed forces, channeling deals through shell companies across at least three countries.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrest on social media Sunday. His statement laid out the scope of the alleged operation.
"She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan."
Court documents paint a picture of arms trafficking on an industrial scale. The Washington Times reported that prosecutors identified a $70 million deal for Mohajer-6 armed drones from Iran's Defense Ministry and a separate contract for 55,000 bomb fuses destined for the Sudanese Defense Ministry.
The Mohajer-6 is no hobbyist drone. It is an armed, medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle that Iran has deployed in its own military operations and exported to allied forces across the Middle East. A $70 million purchase of these systems for a country in the grip of civil war raises immediate questions about how those weapons would be used and against whom.
The criminal complaint also alleges that Mafi and a co-conspirator ran a company called Atlas International Business, based in Oman. AP News reported that the company received more than $7 million in payments during 2025 alone. Prosecutors say the firm served as a conduit for the weapons transactions, routing money and logistics through Oman, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
The allegations go beyond commercial arms dealing. Federal prosecutors say Mafi operated in close contact with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, known as MOIS, one of Tehran's primary espionage and internal security agencies.
The complaint details a specific connection to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Prosecutors allege that Mafi submitted a letter of intent to the IRGC to purchase bomb fuses on behalf of Sudan.
"In connection with the transaction, Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ('IRGC') to purchase the bomb fuses for Sudan."
The IRGC has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States since 2019. Any American resident conducting business with the IRGC faces severe criminal exposure under federal sanctions law, which is exactly the statute prosecutors invoked here.
This arrest fits a broader pattern of federal enforcement actions targeting individuals on U.S. soil who allegedly act as agents of hostile foreign governments. A recent federal prosecution in Brooklyn convicted a Pakistani national in an Iran-directed assassination plot, underscoring how seriously courts are treating Tehran's reach into American territory.
Mafi was taken into custody Saturday night at LAX. Fox News first reported that federal authorities arrested an Iranian woman at the airport for allegedly brokering weapons sales for the Islamic regime. She was not accused of physically carrying contraband through the terminal. The charge centers on her alleged role as a broker and facilitator of large-scale arms transfers.
Essayli confirmed the timing and location of the arrest in his public statement.
"Last night, Shamim Mafi... was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran."
That she held a U.S. green card while allegedly running arms for a sanctioned regime adds a sharp edge to the case. Lawful permanent residents enjoy broad rights under American law, including the right to travel freely. Prosecutors will need to demonstrate that Mafi used that status and her access to international travel corridors to facilitate deals that violated federal sanctions.
The FBI's renewed focus on violent crime and national security threats has put cases like this squarely in the crosshairs. As FBI Director Kash Patel has outlined, the bureau is pivoting resources toward exactly this kind of criminal investigation.
Sudan has been locked in a devastating civil war since April 2023, with the Sudanese Armed Forces battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. International arms flowing into either side of that war carry enormous humanitarian consequences.
Prosecutors allege that Mafi's brokering operation funneled Iranian military hardware directly to the Sudanese Armed Forces. The scope of the alleged deals, including armed drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition, suggests a sustained supply relationship rather than a one-off transaction.
Breitbart confirmed the details of the criminal complaint, noting that Atlas International Business in Oman allegedly served as the primary corporate vehicle for the deals and that the company received over $7 million in payments during 2025.
Investigators have not publicly confirmed whether Mafi acted alone or as part of a larger network beyond the single co-conspirator named in the complaint. The use of business channels spanning at least three countries, Oman, Turkey, and the UAE, suggests infrastructure that may extend beyond two individuals.
Mafi faces a single charge under 50 U.S.C. § 1705, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Newsmax reported that a conviction could bring up to 20 years in federal prison. The statute gives the government broad authority to prosecute individuals who violate executive orders imposing economic sanctions on foreign nations, entities, or individuals.
Prosecutors will need to prove that Mafi knowingly brokered the sale of weapons in violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran. The criminal complaint's references to direct communications with the IRGC and MOIS, if substantiated at trial, would go a long way toward establishing that knowledge element.
Authorities have not said whether additional charges are forthcoming or whether the unnamed co-conspirator faces separate prosecution. The $70 million drone deal and the $7 million in documented payments through Atlas International Business suggest financial trails that investigators may still be tracing.
The arrest also raises questions about how a green card holder allegedly maintained active business relationships with sanctioned Iranian military and intelligence entities while living in Los Angeles. Federal authorities will need to determine how long the alleged brokering operation ran, whether U.S. financial institutions were used to move funds, and whether any other individuals on American soil played a role.
Cases involving immigration status and federal enforcement have drawn increasing attention as the government cracks down on foreign nationals who allegedly exploit lawful residency to conduct illicit operations.
The most striking detail in the complaint may be the simplest one. Prosecutors allege that a woman living in Los Angeles, holding a U.S. green card, submitted a letter of intent to a designated foreign terrorist organization to buy bomb fuses for a foreign military locked in a civil war. That alleged act, if proven, represents a brazen violation of the sanctions regime that the United States maintains against Iran.
The case also highlights the role of third countries in facilitating Iranian arms transfers. Oman, Turkey, and the UAE each served as alleged nodes in the brokering network. None of those countries are sanctioned by the United States, which makes them attractive intermediaries for actors trying to move weapons or money outside the reach of American enforcement.
Separate national security cases have revealed the breadth of Iranian influence operations targeting individuals inside the United States. A recent case in Austin involving a foreign national with ties to Iranian symbols at his residence drew similar scrutiny over the extent of Tehran's ideological and operational footprint on American soil.
Mafi is expected to make an initial court appearance in the Central District of California. Prosecutors have not indicated whether they will seek pretrial detention, though the nature of the charges and her alleged international travel patterns could weigh heavily in that determination.
When a U.S. resident allegedly brokers $70 million in armed drones for a sanctioned regime and submits purchase orders to a designated terrorist organization, the question is not whether the system should respond. It is whether it responded fast enough.
