On Sunday, April 19, a 44-year-old woman living in San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for allegedly assisting the Iranian government in illegally trafficking weapons to Sudan, which is currently in the midst of a civil war.
The defendant, Shamim Mafi, is charged with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by acting as an intermediary for arms sales between Iran and the Sudanese armed forces. Sudan’s devastating civil war has entered its fourth year, facing severe food shortages and a humanitarian crisis.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli from the Central District of California stated on the social media platform X that the weapons Mafi is suspected of brokering sales for include “drones, bombs, bomb detonators, and millions of rounds of ammunition.”
According to the criminal complaint filed on Saturday, Mafi and an unnamed accomplice operated a company named Atlas International Business in Oman. The investigation revealed that the company served as a conduit for arms and ammunition trafficking, receiving over $7 million in payments within just one year in 2025.
The criminal complaint also details that Mafi assisted in smuggling weapons, including a contract worth approximately $70.5 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones, which included 6 drones, 2 ground control stations, and 300 guided bombs.
Furthermore, intercepted communications showed Mafi discussing the sale of Shahed-136 suicide drones, as well as 500 B4-H Kamikaze drones. Additionally, Mafi is implicated in brokering the sale of 55,000 AM-A-25 bomb detonators to the Sudanese Ministry of Defense, with evidence suggesting these detonators were stored directly in warehouses belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran.
Apart from drones, Mafi is also accused of brokering a massive contract involving 500 OJAN-500 aerial bombs, 70,000 AK-47 rifles, 1,000 rocket-propelled grenade launchers (RPGs), and an order valued at over $100 million for 240 million rounds of AK-47 ammunition.
Mafi is an Iranian citizen who obtained legal permanent residency (green card) in the United States in 2016. She resides in Woodland Hills.
The indictment states that she frequently traveled between Iran, Turkey, and other countries. Law enforcement authorities initiated an interception operation after obtaining information that she planned to fly from Los Angeles to Turkey on Saturday.
According to Fox News, local residents expressed support for the U.S. government’s actions. A resident of San Fernando Valley stated in an interview, “The government taking action is great, and they must follow through. You know, once it’s started, it must be completed.”
Mafi is expected to make her initial court appearance at the Los Angeles Federal Court on Monday afternoon. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in federal prison. The case is still ongoing, and the related charges have not yet been ruled on by the court; the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by law.