The suspect, identified as Shamim Mafi, is accused of brokering deals involving drones, bombs, bomb fuses and large quantities of ammunition between Iranian entities and the Sudanese Armed Forces, according to statements by U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.

Mafi, an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016, was taken into custody on Saturday night and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday. Authorities said it was not immediately clear whether she had secured legal representation.

A criminal complaint filed on March 12 alleges that Mafi and an unnamed associate operated a company based in Oman, Atlas International Business, which prosecutors say was used to channel arms transactions. The firm reportedly received more than $7 million in payments in 2025 linked to these activities.

Court documents also allege that Mafi helped arrange the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to Sudan’s Ministry of Defense and submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to procure the materials.If convicted, Mafi could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The case comes amid Sudan’s protracted civil war, now in its fourth year, which has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis marked by widespread displacement and acute shortages of food and basic supplies.