Export Control and Sanctions News

BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Natalya Ivanovna Mazulina, also known as “Natasha Mazulina,” a resident of Federal Way, Washington, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for crafting a scheme to circumvent U.S. export laws related to Russia.  Mazulina was the Western Regional Manager of Delex Air Cargo LLC, a freight forwarding company based in Jamaica, New York, which operated out of John F. Kennedy International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.  Mazulina was arrested in December 2024 and, in October 2025, pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the

Seattle – A 44-year-old citizen of Iran pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to federal felonies related to his scheme to violate trade sanctions against Iran, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. 

Five Atlanta men, including a U.S./Jamaican dual citizen, have been charged with numerous offenses involving the alleged trafficking of hundreds of stolen firearms to the Caribbean. 

A dual U.S.-Iranian national and CEO of an Iran-based technology company was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with violating U.S. sanctions against Iran by acquiring sophisticated U.S.-origin networking, security, and encryption equipment for Iranian customers — including the Iranian regime’s nuclear and military establishment.

Seattle – A 44-year-old citizen of Iran was extradited to the United States last week and will appear today at 2:00 PM in U.S. District Court in Seattle on a nine-count indictment related to his scheme to violate trade sanctions against Iran, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. 

Kamo Kirakosyan, of Armenia, pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal conspiracy to export goods from the United States to the Russian Federation through the Republic of Armenia without the requisite license or authorization from the U.S. government

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Italian national Manfred Gruber pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export control violations.  Gruber illegally exported ammunition worth over $540,000 from the United States to Kyrgyzstan, via companies that the defendant and his co-conspirator controlled in Italy.  After reaching Kyrgyzstan, most of this ammunition was subsequently reexported to Russia.  Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. In January 2026, Sergei Zharnovnikov, a Kyrgyzstan-based co-conspirator of the defendant, was sentenced to 39

Stanley Yi Zheng, Matthew Kelly, and Tommy Shad English have been charged with conspiring to commit smuggling and export control violations. The three defendants are alleged to have sought millions of dollars’ worth of export-controlled computer chips from a California-based computer hardware company for illegal shipment to China through Thailand.

Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, a former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot, was arrested today in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and charged by criminal complaint for providing, and conspiring to provide, unauthorized defense services to Chinese military pilots in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. 

Former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., also known by the call sign “Runner,” 65, a U.S. citizen, was arrested today in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Brown was charged by criminal complaint for providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). Brown is expected to have his initial appearance before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on February 26, 2026.

The Trade Fraud Task Force will pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade customs laws or smuggle prohibited goods into the U.S.

Milan Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, was sentenced in a federal court in Austin for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act