Glamorous Iranian woman living high life in Los Angeles is arrested for ‘trafficking deadly drones and bombs for Tehran’
A glamorous Iranian woman living a luxurious life in Los Angeles has been arrested for allegedly smuggling deadly drones and bombs to Tehran.
Shamim Mafi, 44, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night and charged with brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of bullets to be sold to Sudan, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California said Sunday.
Mafi left Iran in 2013 and became a permanent resident of the United States in 2016 under the Obama administration, officials said.
The Woodland Hills resident allegedly used Atlas International Business, a company registered in Oman, to broker arms deals as recently as 2025, according to court records. New York Post.
One of its sales included a contract worth over $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones made by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
These unmanned aerial vehicles and 55,000 bomb fuses were transferred through agreements with the Ministry of Defense of Sudan, which has been fighting a violent civil war since 2023.
Mafi had direct contact with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) between December 2022 and June 2025, according to phone records included in court documents.
Mafi shared photos of herself living the luxurious life during her time in America, including a photo of her posing in a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz.
Shamin Mafi, 44, was arrested Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly smuggling deadly drones and bombs to Tehran.
Mafii (pictured when he was arrested) left Iran in 2013 and became a permanent resident of the United States in 2016 during the Obama administration, officials said.
He told investigators he was never hired by Iran to conduct any activities for Tehran on American soil.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, said Mafi had no legal authority to police alleged dodgy sales.
A previous investigation revealed that Tehran seized properties Mafi inherited from his father in 2020, according to court records.
The Department of Intelligence then told him to buy back properties from the Iranian government by opening a business in the United States, according to court records.
According to prosecutors, Iran also offered to cover the costs of establishing the company.
Prosecutors claimed Mafi said he was more useful to Iranian spies in Tehran than in the United States.
One of its sales included a contract worth over $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones made by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
During his time in America, Mafi shared photos of himself living a luxurious life in Los Angeles, California.
