U.S. Attorney Damian Williams | U.S. Department of Justice
Takeshi Ebisawa, a leader within the Japanese Yakuza, has pled guilty in a Manhattan federal court to charges involving nuclear materials trafficking, narcotics, and weapons offenses. The announcement was made by Edward Y. Kim, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and Anne Milgram, Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Ebisawa admitted to conspiring to traffic nuclear materials such as uranium and weapons-grade plutonium from Burma to other countries. He also confessed to involvement in international narcotics trafficking and weapons transactions.
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim stated, “As he admitted in federal court today, Takeshi Ebisawa brazenly trafficked nuclear material, including weapons-grade plutonium, out of Burma.” He further noted Ebisawa's efforts to send heroin and methamphetamine to the United States in exchange for heavy-duty weaponry.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen remarked that the plea serves as a reminder of accountability for those who threaten national security by trafficking dangerous materials on behalf of criminal syndicates.
Anne Milgram highlighted the DEA's capability in dismantling dangerous criminal networks: “This case demonstrates DEA’s unparalleled ability to dismantle the world’s most dangerous criminal networks.”
The DEA had been investigating Ebisawa since 2019 concerning large-scale narcotics and weapons trafficking. During this time, an undercover DEA agent infiltrated his network spanning several countries including Japan, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
Ebisawa conspired to broker weapon purchases intended for ethnic armed groups in Burma while accepting drugs as partial payment. He also planned to distribute these narcotics within New York.
In early 2020, Ebisawa revealed his access to significant quantities of nuclear materials which he sought to sell. This led him into negotiations with a DEA undercover agent posing as an Iranian general interested in acquiring these materials for nuclear weaponry.
Authorities seized samples of uranium and thorium during the investigation with assistance from Thai officials. Forensic analysis confirmed these samples contained weapons-grade plutonium suitable for nuclear arms production.
Ebisawa pled guilty to six counts from a Superseding Indictment which includes conspiracy related to international trafficking of nuclear materials and narcotics importation among others. The penalties range from ten years up to life imprisonment depending on each count.
Mr. Kim commended various DEA offices worldwide along with international law enforcement partners for their role in this operation which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative aimed at disrupting high-level criminal organizations threatening U.S security interests.
The case prosecution is being managed by Assistant U.S Attorneys Kaylan E Lasky Alexander Li Kevin T Sullivan alongside Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin from DOJ’s Counterterrorism Section.
