LAX arrest tied to Sudan
- U.S. authorities arrested a Los Angeles woman on suspicion of helping Iran send weapons to Sudan. - She was detained at LAX on an Iranian arms-trafficking charge, CNN reported. - The arrest coincides with U.S. sanctions on five individuals and appeals for a humanitarian truce in Sudan ((cnn.com)) ((wirenn.com)).
U.S. authorities arrested Los Angeles resident Zahra Mostafavi at Los Angeles International Airport on April 18, 2026, charging her with conspiring to traffic Iranian weapons to Sudan. (cnn.com) Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations detained her upon arrival from Turkey, alleging she facilitated shipments of Iranian-made rifles and ammunition hidden in commercial cargo. The indictment claims the operation ran from 2023 to 2025, involving at least three sea shipments totaling over 10,000 firearms. (justice.gov) Mostafavi, 42, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the arms trafficking and sanctions violation counts under U.S. export laws. Prosecutors say she used shell companies in the UAE to launder payments and disguise the weapons as agricultural equipment. (cnn.com) Sudan's civil war pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, locked in combat since April 15, 2023. The conflict has killed over 150,000 people and displaced 10 million, creating the world's largest humanitarian crisis. (un.org) Iran has supplied weapons to the Rapid Support Forces through smuggling routes via the UAE and East Africa, evading a U.N. arms embargo, according to U.S. intelligence. These arms include AK-47 variants and PK machine guns, fueling atrocities in Khartoum and Darfur. (state.gov) The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on April 19, 2026, targeting five individuals—three Iranians and two Sudanese—for procuring these weapons. The moves freeze their U.S. assets and bar American transactions with them. (treasury.gov) On the same day, U.N. envoy Ramtane Lamamra urged a 30-day humanitarian truce to deliver aid amid famine warnings for 25 million Sudanese. The appeal came during Security Council talks marking three years of war. (wirenn.com) Mostafavi's lawyer, David Smith, called the charges "politically motivated" and said she was only involved in legitimate shipping logistics. No response from Iranian officials. (latimes.com) Her case highlights U.S. efforts to disrupt Iran's shadow arms network, which the State Department links to 20 global conflicts. Trial is set for July 2026 in federal court. (state.gov)
