US Court Sentences Japanese Yakuza Gangster to Twenty Years in Prison for Trafficking Drugs, Weapons and Nuclear Material
Takeshi Ebisawa has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
A member of the Japanese Yakuza organized crime syndicate has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of trafficking nuclear material, narcotics, and weapons in a scheme that raised serious global security concerns.
As criminal networks expand their operations, authorities warn that the potential spread of nuclear materials through illicit channels presents a particularly alarming threat.
On Tuesday, a federal court in New York sentenced 61-year-old Takeshi Ebisawa following a years-long investigation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
According to CBS News, Ebisawa had been in custody since April 2022 after his arrest on drug and weapons charges alongside his Thai co-defendant, Somphop Singhasiri. In February 2024, prosecutors accused Ebisawa of attempting to broker the sale of military-grade nuclear material, while also trafficking narcotics such as heroin and methamphetamine.
“Takeshi Ebisawa tried to sell weapons-grade nuclear material and deadly narcotics. He is now sentenced to 20 years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This is a testament to our law enforcement partners, who worked across three continents to stop these horrific crimes.”…
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) March 4, 2026
Authorities said the profits from the deals were intended to purchase weapons—including surface-to-air missiles—for armed groups in Myanmar.
Investigators ultimately caught Ebisawa through a DEA sting operation in which an undercover agent posed as an Iranian general interested in acquiring nuclear material. The operation led to Ebisawa’s arrest in Manhattan in April 2022.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Ebisawa initially offered to sell uranium but later suggested he could provide plutonium, which he described as “better” and “more powerful” than uranium.
Prosecutors said Ebisawa claimed he had access to large quantities of nuclear material. To support his claims, he allegedly sent photographs showing rock-like substances alongside Geiger counters measuring radiation levels, asserting the materials contained thorium and uranium.
Authorities said the case highlights the growing concern that organized crime groups may attempt to move dangerous nuclear materials across international markets.
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