In brief
FBI agents arrested Shamim Mafi, a Los Angeles resident, for allegedly aiding Iran in trafficking weapons to Sudan. Mafi is accused of brokering sales of bomb fuses and ammunition to the Sudanese Armed Forces, with potential charges leading to a 20-year prison sentence. The Sudanese civil war has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, and the U.S. investigates her connections to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal prosecutors stated that Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old woman from Los Angeles, was arrested on Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airport. She is suspected of helping Iran in the trafficking of weapons to Sudan, a country embroiled in a brutal civil war for four years.
Mafi faces serious charges, including allegations that she brokered the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition from Iran to the Sudanese Armed Forces, as highlighted by First U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli on social media.
A contact number for Mafi was unavailable, and it's unclear whether she has secured legal representation. An image shared by Essayli displayed an FBI agent escorting her to a sedan outside LAX.
Mafi, who is an Iranian national, became a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. in 2016, according to Essayli.
The criminal complaint, dated March 12, notes that Mafi and an unnamed associate operated a company in Oman named Atlas International Business, which was responsible for trafficking the aforementioned weapons and ammunition. The company reportedly received over $7 million in payments in 2025.
In a separate instance, Mafi and her co-conspirator were involved in brokering a transaction for 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese Ministry of Defense, as cited in the court documents.
“In connection with the transaction, Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to purchase the bomb fuses for Sudan,” the complaint further elaborates.
Mafi is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Monday, where she could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The ongoing conflict in Sudan has generated a dire humanitarian situation, with dwindling food supplies and millions displaced from their homes.
