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Iranian national arrested at LAX on suspicion of trafficking weapons on Iran government's behalf

By
Austin Turner
Web Producer, CBS News Los Angeles
Austin Turner is a web producer at CBS News Los Angeles. An Inland Empire native, Austin earned a degree in journalism from San Jose State University in 2020. Before joining CBS News in 2025, he worked at KTLA, the San Jose Mercury News, the Sedona Red Rock News and various other outlets as a news and sports reporter.
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Austin Turner

/ CBS LA

Federal authorities on Saturday night arrested an Iranian national at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of trafficking weapons on the Iranian government's behalf, according to officials.

In a , First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Shamim Mafi, 44 of Woodland Hills, is expected to make an appearance in U.S. District Court on Monday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles. 

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Federal authorities on Saturday night arrested an Iranian national at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of trafficking weapons on the Iranian government's behalf, according to officials. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli

She's accused of violating 50 U.S.C. § 1705, alleging that she brokered "the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan," Essayli said.

Essayli said Mafi is an Iranian national, and that she became a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. in 2016.

Mafi could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted. 

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