An Iranian woman accused ofrunning a global weapons pipeline for the Iranian regimehad been living the high life in California for a decade — while traveling the world doing illegal arms deals for Tehran.
Shamim Mafi, 44, is accused of orchestrating a sanctions-busting arms operation from her humble Woodland Hills town house in Los Angeles County, brokering drones, bombs and massive weapons deals at the behest of Iran’s regime.
Federal investigators say Mafi maintained deep, long-standing ties to Iran’s intelligence and political elite.
Her arrest follows a series of visa cancellations of family members connected to the regime who had been living lavish lives in California, which has thebiggest expatriate Iranian community in the world.
ICE agents arrestedHamideh Soleimani Afshar, 47, the niece of slain Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, in Tujunga, north of Los Angeles, revoking her green card.
Her daughter,Sarinasadat Hosseiny, 25,was also detained in the same sweep.
Meanwhile,Seyed Eissa Hashemi, 43,the son of a senior Iranian official ”Screaming Mary” was taken into custody with his wife and son after his legal status was stripped.
Iranian academic and media commentator Yousof Azizi was also detained by immigration authorities over alleged links to a Basij-affiliated organization tied to the regime’s security apparatus.
Mafi, who held a US green card and moved to California in 2016, allegedly made about 60 communications with an Iranian intelligence officer between 2022 and 2025.
She even told agents she was ”more useful” to Iran’s intelligence services abroad than in the US, a remark officials say reflects her role in facilitating weapons deals across multiple countries.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
