October 11, 2007

Utah arms dealers charged with violating Arms Export Control Act
Sting uncovers illegal shipment of F-14/F-4 aircraft parts

SAN DIEGO- Two arms dealers were charged last week in federal court in Salt Lake City with attempting to illegally export parts for F-14 and F-4 fighter aircrafts without a license.

Abraham Trujillo, 61, and David Waye, 22, of Ogdan, Utah, were both charged with violating three counts of the Arms Export Control Act after agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) conducted a 21-month- undercover investigation into NSA Specialists, a military surplus supply business owned by Trujillo that was recently opened in Ogden.

"This investigation is yet another example of ICE’s commitment to strengthen our national security on a global perspective," said Miguel Unzueta, special agent in charge for ICE investigations in San Diego. "ICE agents have the unique expertise and authorities to uncover illicit arms trafficking schemes that attempt to exploit U.S. arms trafficking laws for personal gain or other nefarious motives."

The investigation began when agents in San Diego discovered the company listed F-14 parts for sale on a centralized inventory website. In an undercover sting, agents met Trujillo while posing as foreigner buyers wishing to buy military weapons to send to Iran. After selling the items to the undercover agents, Trujillo and his associate then allegedly attempted to ship the items to the agents’ foreign address in Canada without first acquiring the required export license. The shipment was mislabeled to disguise its true content and was later intercepted by the agents before leaving the United States.

Agents say the growing demand for used military weapons in Iran has led to an illegal trade market aimed at circumventing the U.S. trade embargo on exports to that country. Iran, which is the only nation in the world that currently flies the F-14 Tomcat, is constantly seeking a supply of replacement parts to maintain its aging fleet.

This illegal trade has resulted in the establishment of numerous global front companies and the increased demand for international arms dealers. Front companies and arms dealers in search of components for the weapons systems in Iran contact U.S.-based aerospace supply companies directly or they use U.S. contacts and front companies to pursue their purchases.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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