Iranian National Arrested for Arms Deals

0:00It's April 19th, from Coast to Coast. This is U.S. News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Federal agents nabbed a 44-year-old Iranian national named Shamim Maffi at Los Angeles International Airport Saturday night. She's from Woodland Hills and got hit with charges for breaking U.S. sanctions by allegedly setting up arms deals for Iran's government. Prosecutors say she brokered sales of drones, bombs, fuses, and millions of rounds of ammo made in Iran and shipped to Sudan. Maffi became a lawful permanent U.S. resident back in 2016, which makes this case hit even harder. She's spacing up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted under laws that block sanctions evasion against foreign foes. This arrest has folks talking about bigger national security headaches. Experts point out Iran often uses middlemen like her to sneak weapons around the world, dodging U.S. crackdowns. It ramps up worries over how hostile regimes tap into our systems through residents and

1:01travel hubs. She's set for her first court appearance Monday in downtown Los Angeles federal court. Officials stress they're presumed innocent until proven guilty, but they're doubling down on busting these trafficking rings. As this plays out, it'll spotlight the push to tighten sanctions and watch foreign nationals closer, keeping Iran's global moves in check for good.