Federal prosecutors say Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian national and lawful U.S. permanent resident, was arrested on April 19, 2026, at Los Angeles International Airport as she prepared to fly abroad. Authorities allege she helped broker sales of Iranian-made military equipment—including drones, bomb components and large quantities of ammunition—linked to Sudan’s military, in a scheme prosecutors say was designed to evade U.S. sanctions.
Federal authorities arrested Shamim Mafi, 44, on April 19, 2026, at Los Angeles International Airport, according to statements by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and court records summarized by the Associated Press.
Prosecutors allege Mafi—an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident in 2016—brokered transactions involving Iranian-manufactured military equipment for Sudan, including drones, bomb-related components and ammunition. The charge is a sanctions-related offense under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if she is convicted.
A criminal complaint dated March 12, 2026, alleges that Mafi and an unnamed co-conspirator operated an Oman-based company, Atlas International Business, which investigators say was used in connection with the alleged weapons brokering. The complaint alleges the company received more than $7 million in payments in 2025.
Among the transactions described in the court documents is an alleged deal involving Mohajer-6 armed drones valued at more than $70 million and intended for Sudan’s Ministry of Defense, according to The Daily Wire’s account of the complaint. The same reporting also describes alleged negotiations involving at least 10 million rounds of ammunition and “tens of thousands” of bomb fuses, with additional quantities discussed.
In a social media post announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Mafi was charged with brokering “the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition” manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.
The complaint also alleges Mafi had repeated contact over a period of years with an individual described as affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, with the contacts reflected in phone records. The Daily Wire reported that investigators say Mafi acknowledged the relationship during interviews and suggested she would be more valuable to those contacts in Iran.
Mafi was expected to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on April 20, 2026, the Associated Press reported.
Mafi is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
