The Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment accusing two foreign businessmen of conspiring to purchase and export weapons of war to Iraq and Sudan through a Florida-based company.
Mohamad Majd Deiry from Syria and Samer Rayya from Lebanon face charges in the Southern District of Florida for illegally exporting arms from the U.S. and international money laundering. Both individuals, part owners of an Iraq-based company sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department, are currently wanted by the FBI and remain at large.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen stated, “These defendants allegedly operated an international arms trafficking ring, unlawfully exporting anti-aircraft ammunition and other military arms and munitions from the United States to Sudan and Iraq. These charges underscore the Justice Department's commitment to holding accountable those who violate our U.S. export controls.”
The indictment traces the charges back to 2016, with arms exporting charges carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and international money laundering charges up to 20 years.
Weapons Involved in the Scheme
According to the indictment, the pair attempted to export various weapons, including:
- 23mm anti-aircraft ammunition
- Bushmaster 40mm grenade launchers
- FN SCAR assault rifles
- FNH 5.7x28mm green tip ammunition
- HK MR762A1 long rifles
All these items require authorization for export and were part of deals worth millions of dollars, involving hundreds of thousands of rounds of anti-aircraft munitions, as per the indictment.
Global Operations
Federal documents reveal the global reach of their operations. The duo operated through a company in Pompano Beach, Florida, along with their Iraq-based company, Black Shield, and an Israel-based company, DM Management.
Black Shield, based in Erbil and incorporated in 2015, is listed under President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14038 targeting entities undermining democratic processes in Belarus.
According to FBI Wanted posters, both Deiry and Rayya are multilingual, speaking Russian, Arabic, and English. The indictment details financial transactions, including a $100,000 advance for a $4 million deal sent via banks in West Africa and Florida in August 2016.
Company representatives from India and Belarus were sent to the U.S. to inspect the munitions, which the duo conspired to move through Guatemala to false end-users in Cyprus before reaching Sudan and Iraq.
