An Iranian woman, known for her opulent lifestyle in Los Angeles, has been detained on suspicion of trafficking lethal drones and explosives for Iran.
Authorities apprehended 44-year-old Shamim Mafi at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night. She faces charges related to allegedly facilitating the sale of drones, bombs, detonators, and millions of rounds of ammunition destined for Sudan, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.
Officials reported that Mafi left Iran in 2013, securing permanent residency in the U.S. in 2016 during the Obama administration.
According to court documents reviewed by the New York Post, the Woodland Hills local allegedly conducted arms deals through Atlas International Business, a firm registered in Oman, as recently as 2025.
Among her transactions was a notable agreement exceeding $70 million for Mohajer-6 combat drones, produced by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
These drones, along with 55,000 bomb fuses, were reportedly delivered in transactions with Sudan’s Ministry of Defense, which has been embroiled in a fierce civil conflict since 2023.
According to phone records included in court documents, Mafi had direct contact with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) between December 2022 and June 2025.
During her time in America, Mafi has shared pictures of her living the high life, including an image of her posing in a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz.
Shamin Mafi, 44, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night for allegedly trafficking deadly drones and bombs for Tehran
Mafi (pictured being arrested) left Iran in 2013 and became a permanent US resident in 2016 under the Obama administration, officials stated
She told investigators that she has never been hired by Iran to conduct any activities for Tehran on American soil.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said Mafi had no legal clearance to oversee the alleged dangerous weapon sales.
A previous investigation revealed that Tehran seized properties that Mafi inherited from her father in 2020, according to court records.
The Ministry of Intelligence then told her to open a business in the US to buy the properties back from the Iranian government, court records stated.
According to prosecutors, Iran also offered to pay for her start-up costs.
Mafi allegedly said that she is ‘more useful’ to the Iranian spies in Tehran than in the US, prosecutors said.
Her and her company have also been accused of intentionally going through channels in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to conduct sales as way to avoid detection from the US, the outlet reported.
One of her sales included a contract for more than $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones made by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics
During her time in America, Mafi has shared pictures of her living the high life in Los Angeles, California
In addition to sharing glimpses of her swanky life, Mafi also posted images of her business dealings in Turkey.
She was tagged in a November 2023 post posing next to Feridun Öncel, the MISIAD General President.
In the post, Öncel said: ‘Our best friend from America Shamim Mafi Doing business talks. It was a beneficial discussion with our Sudanese businessman brother for the country’s economy.’
Before she was handcuffed, Mafi was scheduled to fly to Istanbul, the post reported.
She is accused of violating the Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
She was tagged in a November 2023 post posing next to Feridun Öncel, the MISIAD General President. In it, he called Mafi ‘our best friend from America’
If convicted, she could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
She is due to appear at the US District Court in Los Angeles on Monday, prosecutors said.
The Daily Mail contacted the US Attorney for the Central District of California for comment.
Representatives for Mafi could not immediately be reached for comment.
