Federal authorities arrested a Woodland Hills woman at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night, alleging she brokered multimillion-dollar weapons deals on behalf of the Iranian government in violation of U.S. sanctions laws.
Shamim Mafi, 44, was taken into custody as she prepared to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, according to a newly unsealed criminal complaint. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrest on X, stating Mafi is charged with trafficking arms manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.
The complaint alleges Mafi brokered a contract worth more than $70.6 million for the sale of Iranian-made Mohajer-6 armed drones to Sudan’s Ministry of Defense. She also allegedly facilitated the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese military and negotiated ammunition deals, including 10 million rounds of AK-47 ammunition and a proposed contract for 240 million rounds, according to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.
Mafi is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016. She maintains a residence in Woodland Hills but frequently travels to Iran, Turkey, Oman, and other countries, the complaint states.
Federal investigators allege Mafi and an unnamed co-conspirator conducted the weapons deals through Atlas International, also known as Atlas Global Holding and Atlas Tech LLC. Prosecutors say the operation routed payments through Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to evade U.S. sanctions.
Mafi earned approximately $6 million euros for coordinating a Sudanese delegation’s travel to Iran for one weapons deal. The complaint also details that Mafi acknowledged communicating with an officer from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and records show approximately 62 contacts between her and the intelligence officer between December 2022 and June 2025.
The FBI affidavit alleges Mafi maintained contact with figures tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the U.S. Secretary of State designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019. She allegedly sent a letter of intent to the IRGC “to purchase the bomb fuses for Sudan,” according to court documents.
Investigators say Mafi was aware of the illicit nature of her activities and instructed co-conspirators not to discuss weapons deals by telephone and to delete messages referring to the transactions. She also allegedly directed that payments be made “in small amounts” and only in cash to avoid U.S. scrutiny.
Mafi is charged with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Arms Export Control Act. If convicted, she faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
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