LA Woman Charged With Brokering Weapons Deal Between Iran And Sudan

A Los Angeles woman was arrested on April 18 on suspicion of helping traffic weapons from Sudan to Iran. According to ABC News, she was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport. She has been accused of brokering the sale of “drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition” between the two countries.

The outlet reported that a phone number for the woman could not be located, and it remains unclear whether she has retained an attorney.

The woman has been identified as Shamim Mafi, 44. She has been charged with brokering a weapons deal between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces, according to Bill Essayli.

Essayli posted on social media a photo of an FBI agent escorting a woman into the back of a sedan outside a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.

A criminal complaint against Mafi was filed on March 12. It alleges that she operated a company in Oman called Atlas International Business along with another co-conspirator who has not been named.

According to ABC News, the pair used the company to traffic weapons and ammunition. In 2025, they allegedly received a payout of more than $7 million. Court documents also state that Mafi and her co-conspirator brokered the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese Ministry of Defense.

According to the criminal filing, “In connection with the transaction, Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (‘IRGC’) to purchase the bomb fuses for Sudan.”

Bill Essayli said Shamim Mafi is an Iranian national who was granted lawful permanent resident status in 2016. Mafi is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles on Monday.

If the woman is convicted of the charges she is facing, she could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

On X, Essayli wrote, “Last night, Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.”

He added, “If convicted, she faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.”

“She is expected to make her initial appearance on Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown L.A. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court,” the attorney wrote.