Los Angeles Woman Arrested for Allegedly Assisting Iran in Weapons Trafficking to Sudan
A 44-year-old woman from Los Angeles, Shamim Mafi, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of aiding Iran in trafficking weapons to Sudan. Federal prosecutors allege that Mafi, an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016, brokered the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces. The arrest comes amid Sudan's ongoing civil war, which has resulted in a humanitarian crisis with dwindling food supplies and mass displacement. Mafi is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, and if convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.