WASHINGTON — An investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Safety Investigation’s (HSI) Washington D.C. Discipline Workplace and Protection Prison Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Discipline Workplace led an investigation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IGRC) weapons smuggling community, with substantial help from the U.S. Navy Central Command (NAVCENT) in conducting seizures of two giant caches of Iranian arms, together with 171 surface-to-air missiles and eight anti-tank missiles, in addition to roughly 1.1 million barrels of Iranian petroleum merchandise. Likewise, HSI Denver and FBI’s Minneapolis Discipline Workplace led an investigation of unlawful Iranian petroleum gross sales, once more with substantial help from NAVCENT through the seizures of Iranian petroleum merchandise from 4 foreign-flagged tankers. The U.S. Navy seized the weapons from two vessels within the Arabian Sea whereas conducting routine maritime safety operations. IRGC, a delegated overseas terrorist group, orchestrated the arms shipments, which had been destined for Houthi militants in Yemen. The U.S. authorities equally seized the Iranian petroleum merchandise in or across the Arabian Sea whereas en path to Venezuela. These actions signify the federal government’s largest-ever forfeitures of gasoline and weapons shipments from Iran.
“The outcomes introduced in the present day by the Division of Justice signify one other important victory for HSI in its ongoing efforts to thwart the nefarious prison actions of the Iranian regime and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” mentioned Particular Agent in Cost Ray Villanueva of HSI Washington D.C. “Defending our homeland from transnational threats of any sort stays a high precedence for HSI. The actions carried out by HSI and our associate organizations, each at dwelling and overseas, display that regardless of the place on the planet Iran makes an attempt to violate sanctions and arm harmful entities, HSI stands able to disrupt their actions and defend the nationwide safety of america.”
The U.S. authorities offered the seized petroleum merchandise pursuant to a court docket order. The online proceeds of that sale, $26,681,397.67 earlier than curiosity, could also be directed, in complete or partly, to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund now that the case has concluded.
“The actions of america in these two instances strike a convincing blow to the Authorities of Iran and to the prison networks supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” mentioned Assistant Legal professional Basic Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Division’s Nationwide Safety Division. “The Division of Justice will proceed to make use of all obtainable instruments to fight the threats posed by terrorist organizations and all those that search to hurt america and its allies.”
“These two instances display that not solely can we disrupt the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ capacity to finance its operations by way of petroleum gross sales, however we will additionally thwart its capacity to make use of the proceeds of such gross sales to arm its terrorist proxies and export terrorism overseas,” mentioned U.S. Legal professional Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Given our experience and particular statutory authority, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Columbia is uniquely positioned to help its regulation enforcement companions in such terrorism instances. We’re deeply dedicated to this mission.”
“The mixed efforts of the FBI and our companions to grab missiles and over 1,000,000 barrels of petroleum display our dedication to defend in opposition to overseas terrorist organizations and implement U.S. sanctions,” mentioned Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The Authorities of Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism has left harmless victims in its wake and its makes an attempt to help regimes harmful to america and our allies can be met with the total power of the regulation. The FBI has a continued resolve to carry the Authorities of Iran accountable for its unlawful actions, and we urge anybody with details about violations of sanctions on Iran to contact the FBI.”
“This case is a hit due to the exhausting work and dedication of a joint company staff together with brokers, analysts and prosecutors who, by securing unlawful petroleum, have helped curtail Iran’s marketing campaign of violence and unrest all through the Center East,” mentioned Particular Agent in Cost Michael Paul of the FBI’s Minneapolis Discipline Workplace.
“The unlawful switch of Iranian-made weapons poses a big and speedy risk to our nationwide safety,” mentioned Director Kelly P. Mayo of the Division of Protection, Workplace of the Inspector Basic’s prison investigative arm, the Protection Prison Investigative Service. “The judgment introduced in the present day is a crucial step in our efforts to determine, disrupt, and produce to justice those that imperil sources very important to our security.”
NAVCENT seized the weapons from two flagless vessels within the Arabian Sea on Nov. 25, 2019, and Feb. 9, 2020, respectively. The weapons included 171 guided anti-tank missiles, eight surface-to-air missiles, land assault cruise missile parts, anti-ship cruise missile parts, thermal weapons optics and different parts for missiles and unmanned aerial autos.
On Aug. 20, 2020, the Justice Division filed a grievance searching for to forfeit the seized weapons in U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia. The grievance alleged that the arms shipments had been a part of an IRGC trafficking community designed to distribute illicit weapons to the Houthi motion in Yemen. The court docket granted the federal government’s movement for default judgment and entered a remaining order of forfeiture on Nov. 15. In its opinion, the court docket discovered that the federal government had adequately alleged that the weapons belonged to the IRGC and that the IRGC constitutes an entity engaged in planning or perpetrating a federal crime of terrorism in opposition to america.
On July 2, 2020, america additionally filed a grievance within the District of Columbia searching for to forfeit all petroleum-product cargo aboard 4 foreign-flagged oil tankers. The grievance alleged that the petroleum originated in Iran, and the sale of that petroleum benefitted the IRGC, a sanctioned Iranian entity. On Oct. 1, 2021, the court docket granted the federal government’s movement for default judgment and entered an order of forfeiture. In its opinion, the court docket discovered that america had sufficiently alleged that the petroleum merchandise supplied a supply of affect over the IRGC as a result of these properties had been vital to furthering the affairs of the terrorist group’s enterprise.
These profitable forfeiture actions are a product of the U.S. authorities’s coordinated efforts to implement U.S. sanctions in opposition to the IRGC and the Iranian regime.
Each instances had been prosecuted by the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Columbia and the Justice Division’s Nationwide Safety Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Hudak, Stuart D. Allen, and Michael P. Grady for the District of Columbia and Trial Legal professional David Lim of the Nationwide Safety Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Management Part prosecuted the instances, with help from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers and Authorized Assistant Jessica McCormick. The Cash Laundering and Asset Restoration Part of the Justice Division’s Prison Division supplied intensive help within the forfeiture and sale of the seized petroleum.
HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), liable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these prison organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure by way of which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer.