U.S. authorities have arrested an Iranian woman accused of trafficking weapons to Sudan in violation of American sanctions, federal prosecutors said.
The suspect, 44-year-old Shamim Mafi, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday while allegedly attempting to board a flight to Turkey. Prosecutors claim she acted on behalf of Iran in brokering arms deals with Sudan’s defence ministry, including the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition.
According to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Mafi is accused of arranging a drone contract valued at approximately €60 million ($70 million). Court documents indicate that she also submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to facilitate the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to Sudan.
An FBI criminal complaint alleges that Mafi coordinated travel for a Sudanese delegation to Iran, received more than €6 million in payments, and issued receipts related to the transactions. Authorities further claim she used informal financial exchange networks in an effort to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran, which prohibit unauthorized dealings involving Iranian goods or services.
Mafi, who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016, has not publicly responded to the allegations. She is expected to appear in court on Monday. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
The arrest comes amid ongoing concerns over foreign involvement in Sudan’s civil war, which has raged for the past three years between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has created what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, leaving tens of thousands dead and displacing millions.
International rights groups, including Amnesty International, have reported evidence of weapons from multiple countries being used in the conflict. Iran has previously been accused of supplying arms to Sudan’s military, though Sudanese authorities have denied such claims.