LAX Arrest of Iranian Entrepreneur Linked to $70M Drone Deal

Federal authorities arrested Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian entrepreneur and lawful permanent U.S. resident, at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday evening on suspicion of trafficking weapons on behalf of the Iranian government. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, Mafi is accused of brokering the sale of Iranian-made drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition destined for Sudan, allegedly in violation of federal sanctions law (50 U.S.C. § 1705). She is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon. Investigators allege that Mafi used an Oman-registered company, Atlas International Business, to facilitate the transactions, some of which reportedly continued as recently as 2025. Court documents cite a contract worth more than $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones manufactured by Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, allegedly supplied to Sudan's Ministry of Defense, which has been engaged in a violent civil conflict since 2023. Phone records reportedly show Mafi was in direct contact with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security between December 2022 and June 2025, and prosecutors allege she did not have the legal authorization required to conduct such transactions. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Mafi, a Woodland Hills resident who left Iran in 2013 and became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016, presents a stark contrast between her public image and the allegations. She frequently shared photographs on social media depicting an opulent lifestyle, including images of international travel and posing in front of a luxury vehicle. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty.