April 19 (UPI) -- A 44-year-old Los Angeles area woman is in custody on charges of trafficking arms on behalf of the Iranian government, federal prosecutors said Sunday.
Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, Calif., is charged with acting as a broker for the sale of banned Iranian arms to Sudan, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli.
Essayli said in a social media post that Mafi was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and charged under U.S. sanctions laws targeting Iran. He alleged she was involved in the sale of "drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan."
Last night, Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of... pic.twitter.com/l39Gf1WVed— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) April 19, 2026
Essayli said the arrested woman is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016 and was expected to make her initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Monday.
