Phê Vé
April 20, 2026 • 2 min read
A notable arrest at LAX involves a woman accused of brokering arms sales to Sudan, potentially facing up to 20 years in prison.
Arrest at Los Angeles Airport
Federal prosecutors in the U.S. have reported the arrest of a 44-year-old woman from Woodland Hills, California, at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) while she was attempting to board a flight to Turkey. She is accused of being involved in brokering the sale of Iranian weapons to Sudan, including drones, bombs, and millions of rounds of ammunition.
Charges Against Shamim Mafi
Shamim Mafi was apprehended over the weekend and is alleged to have used an Omani company, Atlas International Business LLC, to facilitate the transfer of Iranian-made weapons to Sudanese armed forces. She is accused of brokering the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese Ministry of Defense and receiving over $7 million from these transactions in 2025.
Federal authorities state that she left Iran, traveled to Istanbul, and settled in Los Angeles as a legal resident in 2016. Following her move, she reportedly worked with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, using a front company to transfer weapons and money between Iran and its partners.
Drone Sale Allegations
Mafi is also accused of facilitating the sale of Qods Mohajer-6 drones to Sudan in 2024, the same type of drone that Iran supplies to Russia for use in the Ukraine conflict. She arranged payments through cash transactions, money transfers, and banks in Dubai and Turkey.
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Đặt vé ngay với giá ưu đãi từ các hãng hàng không
One intriguing allegation is that Mafi directed a contact via WhatsApp to ensure payments were made in cash and broken down in Turkey. She even sent a man to inspect bomb fuses in Tehran, as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard does not allow women into that facility.
A Double Life and Eye-Catching Images
On social media, Mafi shared images of herself alongside rifles and other military weapons in Turkey, all while maintaining a glamorous lifestyle with wonderful days at the beaches of Los Angeles.
Conclusion
Virtual companies, cash payments, coded logistics, and international movements aimed at evading sanctions and transferring arms... all of this creates a scenario reminiscent of a Hollywood film, especially with a woman living in LaLa Land at the center of it. Mafi now faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
She attempted to board a Turkish Airlines flight to leave the U.S., but as the famous line in the movies goes, she “missed it by that much.”
Article adapted and edited from source: Live and Let's Fly
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