Woman Charged for Iran Arms Trafficking

0:00It's April 21st, I'm Corey with The Story, and this is California News Today, your AI-powered local news. A 44-year-old woman from Woodland Hills just got hit with federal charges for trafficking arms on behalf of Iran. Shemim Maffee was nabbed at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday after trying to jet off to Turkey. Prosecutors say she brokered deals, shipping Iranian weapons like drones, bombs, and ammo straight to Sudan, raking in millions for the sanctioned regime. Through a company in Oman called Atlas International Business, Maffee and a partner allegedly moved over $7 million in payments last year, that included 55,000 bomb fuses sold to Sudan's defense ministry, plus six armed drones and 300 guided bombs worth more than 60 million euros. She even sent a letter of intent to Iran's revolutionary guard corps to seal one deal. Federal officials worry this cash helps Iran fund attacks on the U.S. and its allies,

1:01especially since their cutoff from global banks. First assistant U.S. attorney Bill Essaley called it a desperate play for Iran's war chest. Meanwhile, Sudan stuck in year four of a brutal civil war, with millions displaced in food shortages everywhere. Investigators rushed the arrest when they spotted her flight booking, slapping together an affidavit to lock it down before she bounced. She's facing conspiracy charges under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which could mean up to 20 years behind bars if convicted. Maffee showed up in corps Monday without entering a plea, and the case is just heating up as more details emerge on these shadowy deals.