Calif. woman arrested on charges of trafficking arms for Iranian gov't
by Don Jacobson · UPIApril 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."
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.
The charges against Mafi came as U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration were engaged in a fragile cease-fire during its war with Iran as they negotiated to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway amid a U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping.
In a subsequent post, Essayli, a vocal Trump ally, reposted a Fox News account of the arrest and echoed a warning by Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche that "anyone who violates United States sanctions laws will be vigorously prosecuted by the [Department of Justice]," while praising the work of the FBI's Los Angeles office.