Quote:It sure seems like a lot of Iranian nationals are getting themselves in trouble all around the world. The latest case comes to us from Seattle, where an Iranian national, freshly extradited from Panama, will be facing an indictment on charges of evading trade sanctions.

The X post from the Justice Department reads:

Iranian citizen extradited from Panama to U.S. on indictment in Seattle

“The members of this conspiracy thought they could evade export restrictions by shipping goods through a third country – in this case China,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “But law enforcement uncovered the scheme, and the grand jury returned the indictment leading to the appearance today.”

An official press release from the Department of Justice has some more details.

According to the indictment, the conduct in this case violates sanctions against Iran imposed by the President’s Executive Order in March 1995 and reimposed in 2001. The orders prohibit the unauthorized exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran; as well as the exportation or supply of goods, technology, or services to persons in third countries knowing or with reason to know that the goods, technology or services are intended for supply, trans-shipment, or re-exportation to Iran.

According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar managed a business called New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China. The company hid the fact that it was procuring items in the U.S. for companies in Iran. It fraudulently claimed the goods were destined for China. The indictment details that in 2011 and 2012, Dindar and his coconspirators used deception to purchase parts for three military sonar systems from a business in the Western District of Washington. Dindar and his coconspirators claimed the systems would be used by a company in China. In fact, the indictment alleges that at all times, the plan was to ship the parts through China to Iran in violation of export controls.

Sharp work. We seem to be sweeping these people up at a pretty good clip.

It's not clear what Iran would do with sonar technology, as they no longer have a navy or, indeed, much of a military at all. But these components may be useful to give them some insights into how our sonars work. More to the point, there are many good reasons that we don't allow the shipment of such goods to Iran, and this guy tried to evade them; now he gets to pay the piper.

While this guy was running his little mullah-serving operation out of Panama, there are plenty of Iranian nationals right here in these United States, and we should be concerned with what they are up to. The weakness of the Biden administration and their feckless ignoring of the border and of immigration law let too many people in, and it's a safe bet that some of them are up to no good - not just Iranian nationals, either.

This guy, at least, is no longer a problem, save for the work of putting him on trial.