The Justice Department recently filed a forfeiture complaint against one of the largest seizures of munitions shipments from Iran to Yemeni militant groups.
According to a news release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Justice Department has filed a forfeiture complaint against more than 1 million rounds of ammunition seized en route from Iran to Yemen.
“This seizure represents one of the largest forfeiture actions ever for weapons shipments from Iran and demonstrates our commitment to preventing the illicit movement of ammunition and other dangerous weapons that in the hands of transitional criminal organizations could pose a significant threat to public safety, worldwide,” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Tae D. Johnson said in the release. “This was a collaborative effort, and HSI played a critical role working with mission partners to keep these munitions out of the hands of a hostile nation.”
The U.S. Navy intercepted more than 1 million rounds of ammunition, thousands of rocket-propelled grenade proximity fuses and thousands of pounds of rocket-propelled grenade propellant Dec. 1, 2022, as they were being transported from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to militant groups in Yemen, the release reported.
“This forfeiture action prevents ammunition and dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands and highlights the importance of our investigative work to deny criminal and terrorist networks their instruments of violence and destruction,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in the release. “I am extremely proud of the critical investigative role played by Homeland Security Investigations alongside our law enforcement and Department of Defense partners in a collaborative whole-of-government effort.”
With significant support from the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in carrying out the seizure, the Homeland Security Investigations Washington field office and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Mid-Atlantic field office are in charge of the larger investigation of the Iranian weapons-smuggling network, the release said.
“This seizure is quite significant for several reasons — first, this is among the largest seizures of munitions shipments from Iran, but more importantly, this keeps copious amounts of dangerous armaments out of the hands of dangerous militant organizations in the Middle East,” HSI Washington Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon said in the release. “Working with our law enforcement and Defense Department partners, HSI Washington, D.C. remains proud to have played such a significant role in this operation. We will continue to protect the interests of our great nation at home and abroad.”
This action is part of a larger investigation of sanctioned Iranian entities suspected of trafficking advanced weapons systems and components to directly support military actions by the Houthi movement in Yemen and the Iranian regime’s campaign of terrorist activities throughout the region which pose significant threats to U.S. national security, the release said.
