Iranian Woman Arrested In Los Angeles Over Drone Trafficking

[Adelola Malik]

A 44-year-old Iranian woman named Shamim Mafi, who was living a luxurious lifestyle in Los Angeles, has been arrested over serious allegations of trafficking drones and weapons. Authorities claim she was involved in arranging deals to supply dangerous military equipment linked to Iran.

She was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night. According to US officials, she is accused of organizing the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and large amounts of ammunition. These weapons were allegedly intended for Sudan, a country currently dealing with conflict.

Mafi reportedly left Iran in 2013 and became a permanent resident of the United States in 2016. Investigators say she used a company called Atlas International Business, which is registered in Oman, to arrange weapons deals as recently as 2025.

One of the major deals linked to her includes a contract worth over $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones. These drones were reportedly produced by Iran's Ministry of Defense and were allegedly sold along with 55,000 bomb fuses to Sudan, where a civil war has been ongoing since 2023.

Court documents also suggest that Mafi had contact with Iran's intelligence agency, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), between 2022 and 2025. Despite these claims, she told investigators that she had never worked for the Iranian government or carried out any operations on US soil.

During her time in America, she shared photos online showing her wealthy lifestyle, including posing with an expensive Mercedes-Benz car. However, prosecutors say she did not have legal permission to handle such weapons deals and believe she may have been working in coordination with Iranian authorities, who allegedly supported her business activities.

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