An Iranian-born immigrant who became a lawful permanent resident alien under the Obama administration was arrested and charged with brokering arms sales on behalf of the Iranian Government. According to Bill Essayli, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, federal authorities arrested 44-year-old Shamim Mafi at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday evening.
According to Essayli, Mafi, of Woodland Hills, is accused of trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran and is being charged with 50 USC section 1705, for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition. The munitions were reportedly manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.
If convicted of the offenses, Mafi could face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison in addition to fines. A conviction of this offense with an appropriate sentence could also render Mafi deportable from the United States as an aggravated felon.
Shamim Mafi gained permanent resident status in 2016 after leaving Iran in 2013. According to a report by the New York Post, court documents reveal Mafi allegedly used an Oman-based company known as Atlas International Business to broker weapons deals as recently as 2025.
The contract was reportedly worth more than $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed Iranian-made drones procured from Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. According to the Post, the drones and more than 50,000 bomb fuses were part of deals brokered with the Sudanese Ministry of Defense. Sudan has been in a civil war waged between two factions of the country’s military government since 2023.
According to a report in Africa Defense Forum (ADF), a publication by U.S. Africa Command, Iran has a history of funneling weapons to Sudan to capitalize on the chaos caused by the civil war in a bid to gain a foothold on the Red Sea. According to experts, establishing a presence in Sudan would allow Iran to threaten shipping through the Suez Canal, potentially impacting Israel and Saudi Arabia as well as other adversaries in the region.
Mafi is expected to make her initial appearance on Monday afternoon in the U.S. District Court in downtown LA. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.
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