Feds arrest California woman accused of Iranian weapons trafficking

U.S. investigators arrested a 44-year-old Iranian national over the weekend for allegedly trafficking Iranian-made arms, according to a Monday statement from the Department of Justice. Shamim Mafi allegedly brokered sales of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran to Sudan, according to a Sunday statement from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.

Federal officials arrested Mafi on Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airport as she was attempting to board a flight out of the country, the DOJ said. She was scheduled to make her first court appearance on Monday, but no plea will be entered.

How extensive were her alleged trafficking operations? Mafi operated the Oman-based company, Atlas International Business, which brokered weapons deals on Iran’s behalf in early 2025, according to the DOJ. Federal investigators cited one contract for more than $70 million in Iran-made drones to Sudan’s defense ministry, for which Mafi allegedly received over $7 million.

Records obtained from a search warrant showed over 60 bidirectional contacts between Mafi and an Iranian intelligence officer between December 2022 and June 2025, according to the DOJ. Mafi may receive up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted. Federal authorities noted that an indictment is merely an allegation and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court.

Was she a U.S. citizen? Essayli identified Mafi as an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016.