A California woman has been arrested and charged with brokering the sale of weapons, including drones and ammunition, manufactured by the Iranian government to contacts in Africa. Shamim Mafi, 44, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night.
Mafi, an Iranian national who has been a lawful permanent resident of the US since 2016, allegedly used her company Atlas International to facilitate the illegal weapons deals. The transactions took place in several locations, including California and Turkey.
According to court documents, Mafi's activities included brokering the sale of Iranian-manufactured drones valued at over €60m to Sudan's ministry of defense. She allegedly earned $6m euros for her role in coordinating the deal.
Mafi faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Monday at the US District Court in Los Angeles.