Connect with us

Latest

Feds arrest Iranian woman at LAX for allegedly brokering weapons sales for Islamic regime

Published

on

Federal authorities arrested an Iranian woman at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, alleging she brokered deals to sell Iranian-made drones, bombs, bomb fuses, assault weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition to Sudan in violation of U.S. sanctions laws, according to a newly unsealed criminal complaint.

“Last night, Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran,” First Assisant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote Sunday on X.

“She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.

“If convicted, she faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Mafi is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016. She is expected to make her initial appearance on Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown L.A. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.”

ICE ARRESTS RELATIVES OF SLAIN IRANIAN GENERAL SOLEIMANI LIVING IN US AFTER RUBIO REVOKES THEIR GREEN CARDS

Prosecutors say Mafi, granted permanent U.S. residency in California under former President Barack Obama, worked with others on behalf of Iran and was preparing to board an LAX flight to Turkey when she was taken into custody, according to a redacted member of the Iran Counterintelligence Squad of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

The complaint accuses Mafi of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and says she allegedly brokered a contract worth more than $70.6 million for the sale of Iranian-made Mohajer-6 armed drones to Sudan’s Ministry of Defense.

Investigators allege she also helped arrange the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese military and multiple ammunition deals, including 10 million rounds of AK-47 ammunition and a separate proposed contract for 240 million rounds.

“MAFI is a lawful permanent resident in the United States who maintains a residence in Woodland Hills, California, and travels frequently to Iran, Turkey, Oman, and other countries,” the 68-page complaint read. “As set forth below, MAFI executed her illegal weapons brokering scheme from multiple locations, including within the Central District of California.

ISRAELI MAN BUILT BOMB LAB FOR IRANIAN PLOT TARGETING EX-PM BENNETT, AUTHORITIES SAY

Mafi, born in Iran, relocated to Istanbul and eventually ended up in the U.S., where she is not a citizen. She has a sordid history and connection to Iranian government and intelligence.

“During interviews with U.S. Customs and Border Control (‘CBP’) officers and the FBI, MAFI acknowledged communicating with an officer of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (‘MOIS Officer-1’),” the complaint alleged.

FEDS SAY PAKISTANI NATIONAL BACKED BY IRAN PLOTTED TO ASSASSINATE TRUMP, OTHERS IN MURDER-FOR-HIRE SCHEME

“Mafi stated that she is ‘more useful to them [i.e., MOIS] in Iran than in the United States,’ and records obtained pursuant to a search warrant show approximately 62 bidirectional contacts between Mafi and MOIS Officer-1’s phone numbers between December 2022 and June 2025.”

According to the FBI affidavit, Mafi and her alleged co-conspirators used an Oman-based company, Atlas International Business LLC, to facilitate the deals and routed payments through Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which investigators say was intended to evade U.S. sanctions.

The filing also alleges Mafi coordinated with figures tied to Iran’s government, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and maintained contact with an officer from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

Federal agents said Mafi never obtained the required U.S. licenses to broker such transactions involving Iranian goods or defense articles. The complaint says she was scheduled to depart LAX for Istanbul on April 18 and that investigators believed evidence of the alleged scheme would be found on her person and at her residence.

Continue Reading

Latest

Zero-calorie sweeteners may impact future generations, study warns

Published

on

→ Your guilt-free sweetener swap may leave a genetic imprint that echoes across generations, research suggests.

→ Inside a fast-food giant’s little-known training hub, the next generation of restaurant leaders is being shaped.

→ There’s a reason some Costco pastries aren’t served warm — and it involves mold.

→ Gen Z’s favorite ready-to-drink cocktails are raising new concerns that their high potency may fuel overconsumption.

→ Restaurants are telling diners to ditch their phones — or risk missing out on the full experience.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

→ These under-the-radar spots serve up top-rated, all-you-can-eat feasts without the big-city price tag.

→ Doctors say a few unexpected pantry staples could help you sleep better and ditch the supplements.

→ A viral at-home recipe reveals the simple trick to recreating a Chick-fil-A fan favorite.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOOD AND DRINK NEWS

→ A sommelier hit dozens of top restaurants in a record-breaking sprint — and revealed what the experience was really like.

Continue Reading

Latest

Country singer Mark Chesnutt says alcoholism ‘almost killed’ him, admits he drank a handle of vodka a day

Published

on

Mark Chesnutt’s alcoholism nearly cost him his life.

During an appearance on the “Big D & Bubba” radio show last week, the “Brother Jukebox” singer, 62, got candid about the pitfalls of his addiction, admitting that he was once drinking a handle of vodka a day in order to cope, and explained how he managed to find sobriety.

“I quit drinking, and that was a big deal for me. That was a huge thing for me. It just about killed me,” he said. “There’s no other way to say it. It almost killed me.”

COUNTRY SINGER MARK CHESNUTT HAS ‘NEW HEART’ AFTER UNDERGOING EMERGENCY SURGERY, CANCELING UPCOMING SHOWS

“I went through a period there that was really bad after my back surgery [in 2021]. I just sat around and drank all the time,” he continued. “That’s all I could do. I couldn’t eat. I was pretty — I was miserable all the time. I started out drinking beer. That was mostly what I drank. I drank beer and some whiskey every now and then … and then I got to drinking wine … And then I graduated to the vodka and started hitting the vodka really, really hard.”

“Me and ol’ Tito’s, best friends for a long time,” he said. 

When asked how much vodka he’d go through in a day, he admitted, “I’d go through about a handle… It got bad.”

Chesnutt said he feels better now than he did when he was a younger “drunk” in his 20s and 30s.

“When you get older, you slow down a little bit. And we don’t have the energy we had when we were in our 30s, 40s, 20s,” he said. “But actually, that’s what they tell me I’m supposed to feel like, but I don’t feel like that. I feel like I have more energy than I had when I was in my 30s.”

JOHN RICH SAYS GAMBLING ADDICTION BECAME ‘GROSS’ MISUSE OF GOD-GIVEN SUCCESS

“Because when I was in my 30s, I was drinking a lot. In my 40s, I was drinking a lot. 50s I was drinking way too much. And so, that’s when I quit. And I couldn’t get on stage and do what I did when I was drunk when I was younger. I wasn’t a functioning drunk anymore. I was just a drunk,” he said with a laugh.

“I feel so good now, man. I wake up every day and thank the good Lord that I’m still kicking,” he added.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

In 2024, Chesnutt shared a health update on social media and thanked his followers for their unwavering support. 

“Well folks, doc says I got a new heart!,” the caption read. “I’m recovering comfortably at home with my family. Today we sat on the porch just soaking in the sun and that beautiful Texas weather. But I can’t wait to get back to pickin’ and singin’ with all my favorite fans! Thank you for all the well-wishes and prayers. They have helped and meant the world to me in my time of need. I appreciate you all so very much. See yuh soon!”

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

One week prior, the country music star was hospitalized before undergoing emergency quadruple bypass surgery, according to an Instagram post shared by his team, and was forced to cancel some shows.

“Mark Chesnutt, one of the most signatured country music voices of the 90s and a honky tonk mainstay for more than three decades, experienced a heart health issue over the weekend that hospitalized him Sunday evening, June 16; Mark underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery,” the post read.

In October 2025, Chesnutt canceled another string of concerts after being hospitalized.

“Mark was admitted to Baton Rouge General Hospital Thursday morning after his flight arrived for the concert with Alabama,” Chesnutt’s rep told Fox News Digital. “He is still in the hospital today for testing on a low sodium count and very high blood pressure. He is stable.”

On the “Big D & Bubba” radio show, he gave an update, saying, “I feel good now. After the heart surgery thing I felt like… It’s been rough. I put my body through a lot. And I paid for it. But you know, I feel a lot better.”

Continue Reading

Latest

WWE star Kit Wilson dishes on popular character change, bringing in new fans

Published

on

WWE star Kit Wilson needed to go through some character changes before he was featured again on “Friday Night SmackDown.”

He lost his Pretty Deadly tag team partner due to a serious injury, and needed to start a singles run of his own. While the recent run hasn’t yielded any championships as of yet, he’s been able to garner attention in a way that hasn’t really been seen before on WWE TV.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Wilson’s gimmick calls out toxic masculinity among his fellow pro wrestlers. He reads poetry, writes in his journal and puts “toxic” superstars on notice.

He told Fox News Digital he believed “things are looking up.”

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Wilson said before WrestleMania 42. “You know, obviously, it came from a sad place, it came from a dark place, losing my tag-team partner. He’s out injured at the moment. I miss him. I hope for him to be back. But yeah, we’re on a trajectory right now. We’re on a singles run right now. Things are looking up.

“I’m feeling more confident than ever. I’m more passionate than ever. I’m feeling this fire within me. And look, things haven’t been going my way. I’ve been losing. I’ve been losing. I’ve been cursed. I’ve been cursed. I’m feeling so good, I’m pushing forward. I’m pushing all the way to the top and I’m not stopping until I get to the top.”

Wilson’s character has caught on so much that he’s been able to bring in some new fans.

WWE NXT STAR TONY D’ANGELO WARNS TITLE CONTENDERS HE’S ON A ‘PATH OF DESTRUCTION’

The average sports fan who may not be interested in WWE or is passing through SmackDown while channel flipping has been able to stop and see Wilson in action.

“I do think that is something that is very big and important to me. When I started, there was a lot of people who I looked up to that weren’t the stereotypical people. I didn’t like the kind of ‘bad a–,’ I didn’t like the bold, aggressive, angry man for no reason. I liked the vibrant characters. When I started on the independent scene in the UK, Noam Dar – who is now in NXT – I looked up to him so much because I felt like I related to him more.

“So, for me to be able to be doing this specific character right now, this Kit Wilson era, it’s kind of inspiring because who maybe see themselves through it because it’s not the stereotypical aggressive, angry, ‘toxic,’ man, yeah, I feel really good about that.”

Wilson wasn’t scheduled in a match at WrestleMania 42, but he did appear in a segment with John Cena, The Miz and Danhausen.

Unfortunately, it ended with Danhausen’s allies punching him in the groin.

Still, to go from a mid-card singles competitor to being involved in WrestleMania in any regard is huge achievement in its own right.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2026 Political Signal