Parts sent to Iran could be used for nuclear weapons; 3 charged in alleged plot

Three men, including an Iranian-born chemical engineer living in Glendale, have been charged in a scheme to smuggle sophisticated industrial components into Iran that could be used in the development of a nuclear weapon, authorities said Wednesday.

The case has drawn interest at the highest levels of government, an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement told The Times. The charges come as the U.S. is rallying allies to block Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Authorities allege that the men were attempting to smuggle high-grade vacuum pumps and other items into Iran in violation of federal trade laws and U.S. sanctions against the country. Investigators’ suspicions were heightened by the great lengths to which the defendants went to hide their alleged activities.

“These were educated men,” said Louis Rodi, a top supervisor in the Los Angeles ICE office. “These individuals knew what they were doing.”

According to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Jiraiir Avanessian, 56, of Glendale was paid several hundred thousand dollars to ship “high dollar vacuum pumps and pump related” equipment to Iran.

The parts, which were mislabeled and significantly devalued on shipping manifests, were initially sent to the United Arab Emirates, making it appear that was their final destination, federal authorities said. But a co-defendant would then forward the items to a third defendant in Tehran, according to court papers.

Rodi stressed that investigators have no proof about what the devices were ultimately going to be used for, but said that he had been briefed on their potential uses and that they included “development of nuclear capabilities.” 

--Scott Glover

Comments

[Hordy]

I suppose toilet paper could have a nuclear use as well if you used it at a nuclear reactor. Quit grasping at straws in order to start a war.

[Kris]

Wow. This war is getting scary

[Gabriel]

yeah, I'm sure these men went through all that trouble to conceal something that is completely innocent. Hordy, wake up!!!!!! Good job ICE! A country like IRAN should never have a nuclear weapon.

[Dallas Jackson]

Hey Hordy: I suppose drivng into Austria you right away want us to believe Hitler and the boys want to take over Europe. Quit grasping at straws in order to start a war. I do feel better with a real progressive warrior like Barry Obama as our leader. He's promised to love our enemy's and now that they know that there can only be peace on the horizon. I'll bet our lives on it. Well I guess we already have huh?

[A Concerned American]

The POINT is NOTHING is supposed to shipped to the enemy.

[phlegm]

I can't imagine anyone like that hiding out in Glendale. Everyone seems so nice, personable and never staring you down with an attitude problem.

[mateo]

@ phlegm: Laughter Out Loud!

[James Salsman]

The real terror here is that the feds can't tell electron microscopy equipment necessary for health care applications from equipment necessary to build a nuclear weapon. I predict a spectacular and embarrassing end to someone's DHS career in about a week.

[cici]

Iran is not the enemy to Hordy, we straw grasping war starting American's are.

[mike licavoli]

In this digital age when everyone has a camera, why don't they provide mug shots of these clowns?

[maryo]

Does anyone really think President Ocommie worries about this?
Health care destruction, Nobel Peace Prize, Chicago Olympics, cap & tax - these are all much more important than the American lives which will be lost due to his disastrous policies.

[William]

Why doesn't America just declare war on every country in the world that is rich in natural resources and get it over with?
While you are being led by the nose to attack country after country by Israel and the zionists in DC you're country is being driven into the ground. The banks and financiers who almost wrecked the US are actually profiting from their mistakes while the average Joe in America is thrown to the wolves. The formerly great USA has become a plutocracy with private profit and socialised losses ie. a fascist state. All they need to cover up this ongoing and mind boggling crime is constant war to keep the masses otherwise occupied. (Along with bogus pandemics that is)
All the while, China and Russia are tying up the energy resources of Asia leaving the US out in the cold. Iran is no threat to America regardless of whether they acquire nukes or not and there is no concrete evidence to suggest that they will. Let Israel with their 200-300 nukes do what they will and stop being led into unwinnable wars which will only enrich the few and spell financial doom for everyone else.
As for the 'story', this obvious propaganda is like finding a bag of nails and declaring it evidence of a nuclear weapons program, it's ridiculous in the extreme.

[maryo]

to the LAT: why do you censor comments? Is is because you continue to be on the Obama/US destruction bus?

[Joemamabush]

if my comments are not posted i will cancel my home delivery.

[anthilltiger]

Some of you people are absolute morons. If you have been educated by this American Government system then you have an excuse for bring the idiot you’ve become. I’m sick of morons. If we really anted to eliminate war we would bomb and kill every last enemy in the world. Then we would take their women and impregnate them so over the generations there would be no one to fight. Bomb his or her countries holy land and kill everyone old enough to hate the opponent. . But no we have to keep the wars in the world going for hundreds of years because of peace nicks and politicians who profit from constant turmoil. The pacifists and weak will keep the killing going forever. Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great knew how to win a war and bring peace and its NOT Negotiations girl’s.. Those not willing to fight for their freedom should become slaves. History read it! LOL

[JamesJ]

Hordy and William, tis better to not post and be thought a fool, than to post and remove all doubt

[NO BS]

My comments were also censored. Nice work boys.

The main point I am trying tommake is that these guys should be brought up on treason charges.

I want profiling
I want closed borders
I want our jobs back in the USA
I want Iran to get hit hard so we, the USA send a clear cut message to th rest of the world.

It wont happen because war creates too much money.

[Patriot]

The ignorance displayed here by Liberal maroon's is amusing.Thanks for belly laugh at your expense for displaying your stupidity for all to see & appreciate.BTW tools,high grade vacuum pumps are a must to refine uranium to high grade for weapons.they're not needed to make low-grade fuel for power plants idiots !

[Jim]

Wow what weeenees you are at the obumer/times!

[dan]

the problem with our war on terror is not what they`re doing and how we`re trying to stop them,it`s what fools over here are saying that encourages them to go farther because they sense a weak culture. wake up america,they`re betting that we don`t have the guts to keep fighting. if we give in to them,they win!

[William]

What a surprise, instead of arguing the points and actually engaging what little brain they have, the gung-ho war mongers resort to name calling.
Disappointing but hardly surprising!
To 'Patriot', high grade vacuum pumps have many uses within civilian society. You have the internet so I'll leave the research to you if you're up to it.
JamesL, incisive comments there son, keep it up.
Anyhilltiger, how about we just stop starting wars for profit in the first place? It would be a lot less effort then the bunch of war crimes you describe!
By the way, you do know you are a slave to the Federal Reserve do you not?

[VR]

What's up with the rehashing of the "starting wars for natural resources" bull dropping? As we can see we are getting such cheap gas out of Iraq since, after all, we only went to war there for oil. Wait.....; silly me! It's the Chinese that are getting the deals there!!!! Maybe we should do the same thing to Iran and then the Russians can get cheap oil deals. At some point in time you liberals have to come up with better explanations. Maybe one like : "we should not allow a totalitarian Islamic, terrorist sponsoring state have nuclear capabilities with which to wipe out its perceived enemies". Has a good ring, don't you think?