Los Angeles Woman Arrested In Alleged Iran-To-Sudan Arms Scheme
A 44-year-old Los Angeles resident was arrested at LAX on allegations she brokered weapons sales from Iran to Sudan, including drones and 55,000 bomb fuses.
FortuneFeds arrest a Los Angeles woman at LAX on suspicion of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan | Fortune
PBS NewsHourLos Angeles woman arrested on suspicion of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan
ABC NewsLos Angeles woman arrested on Iranian arms trafficking charge
Breitbart NewsHigh Rolling Iranian Businesswoman Nabbed at Los Angeles Airport, Accused of Arms Trafficking
Overview
Federal prosecutors said a 44-year-old Los Angeles woman, Shamim Mafi, was arrested Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan.
A criminal complaint dated March 12 alleges Mafi brokered sales of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
The complaint and records say Mafi and an unnamed co-conspirator operated Atlas International Business in Oman and submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to purchase 55,000 bomb fuses for Sudan.
Authorities say the company received over $7 million in payments in 2025 and one account describes a contract valued at more than €60 million and Mafi earning about €6 million.
Mafi, a lawful permanent U.S. resident since 2016, is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Monday and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a law-enforcement and national-security matter by foregrounding arrest details, U.S. attorney statements and court filings that list weapons and millions in payments. Editorial emphasis on an FBI photo, absence of a defense voice, and linking to Sudan’s "bloody civil war" amplifies culpability and threat.