Neighbors blow the lid on Iranian arms dealer’s shady LA lair
An alleged international arms broker arrested at Los Angeles International Airport had drawn attention from neighbors long before federal agents moved in, according to people living near her Woodland Hills residence.
Shamim Mafi, 44, is accused of coordinating weapons deals for the Iranian government while living in a two-bedroom, three-bath townhouse in a quiet Los Angeles neighborhood. Residents nearby said they rarely saw Mafi herself, but noticed a steady flow of unfamiliar men visiting the property, some of whom appeared suspicious.
Federal agents arrested Mafi Saturday night and charged her with arranging transactions involving Iranian drones, bombs, and millions of rounds of ammunition intended for Sudan. Prosecutors say she maintained contact with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, which allegedly directed her activities and helped finance a business she opened in the United States.
Neighbors Paul Hillson, 68, and his wife Diane Maston, 66, said they were at home when FBI agents arrived at around 9 p.m. Saturday to search the townhouse.
Hillson said several unmarked vehicles and undercover agents were present. Agents reportedly knocked on the door and announced they had a search warrant before removing sealed black evidence boxes from the residence.
The couple said they had never personally met Mafi but believed something unusual was happening at the property. Hillson described a pattern of intermittent visitors arriving to pick up items and then leaving. He also recalled a man who appeared to be staying there for a time and gave off what he described as a threatening presence.
Another visitor stood out to the neighbors because he often smoked on the balcony despite building rules prohibiting it. Hillson said the man wore expensive clothing, including a Gucci jacket and a high-end watch, and appeared intimidating.
Maston said she occasionally heard strange mechanical noises coming from the townhouse late at night that would wake her up. About a week before the arrest, she also saw three women removing items from the home. According to her, they were cleaning the garage with a hose and there were mattresses stored inside.
A real estate source told reporters that Mafi did not own the townhouse. Another neighbor, Mark, confirmed seeing federal agents search the property but said he had only spotted Mafi once before and never spoke with her.
A security guard in the neighborhood, Amir Abolghasemi, 60, who originally came from Tehran, said Mafi had previously waved to him while near her garage.
Abolghasemi said he believes people who assist Iran’s government often do so for financial reasons, calling the regime dangerous and saying that many Iranians living abroad left their homeland to escape it.
According to court documents, Mafi left Iran in 2013 and became a permanent U.S. resident in 2016 during the Obama administration. Investigators say she used a company registered in Oman, Atlas International Business, to arrange weapons deals as recently as 2025.
One of the contracts allegedly involved more than $70 million worth of Iranian-made Mohajer-6 armed drones supplied through Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
Authorities say those drones, along with 55,000 bomb fuses, were part of deals with Sudan’s Ministry of Defense. Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal civil war since 2023.
Iran has repeatedly faced accusations of violating a United Nations arms embargo related to the Sudan conflict, and Iranian drones have reportedly been used by Sudanese government forces during the fighting.
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