West African Busted for Illegal Weapons Export Plot
Jim Kouri, CPP
September 29, 2006
A West African man was arrested in San Diego last Tuesday by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service for attempting to illegally export various handguns and high-capacity magazines to the Ivory Coast.
The Ivory Coast has suffered from widespread warfare and violence over the years.
Forty-year old Yssouf Diabate made his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday to face one felony count of violating the Arms Export Control Act. The Act requires that anyone seeking to export items on the US Munitions List must first register with the US State Department and receive a license or other approval for the export of such articles.
The self-employed electronics salesman from New York was taken into custody yesterday afternoon after meeting with an ICE undercover agent at a storage facility in the Oak Park area.
There, Diabate paid the agent $13,200 for the weapons and accessories. That money was in addition to a $10,000 down payment the New York man made last month. After taking possession of the items, the defendant concealed them inside two television security monitors and packaged them for shipment. Diabate and the agent then drove to a local UPS store in Kearny Mesa where the suspect paid to ship one of the boxes before agents arrested him in the store's parking lot.
The investigation into Diabate began about three months ago after ICE received a tip from an industry source. During the subsequent probe, the ICE undercover agent negotiated with Diabate by email and telephone, and met with him twice in San Diego.
In the wrong hands, arms and sensitive technology pose a serious threat to national security,” said Mike Unzueta, special agent in charge for the ICE office of investigations in San Diego.
This case demonstrates the pivotal role ICE plays not only in protecting our country, but in ensuring the safety of other nations as well,” he added.
The illegal transfer of Department of Defense weapons and technology is one of the top investigative priorities at DCIS,” said Rick Gwin, special agent in charge for the DCIS Western Field Office.
The weapons Diabate purchased and attempted to export are all listed on the United States Munitions List. The cache included 38 handguns manufactured by Glock, Beretta, Smith and Wesson, and Sig-Sauer. In addition to the weapons, Diabate purchased 10 high-capacity magazines, 10 tactical flashlights, and 5 laser sights.
Diabate, who is a legal permanent resident of the United States, immigrated to this country from West Africa in 1995. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
The Ivory Coast has suffered from widespread warfare and violence over the years.
Forty-year old Yssouf Diabate made his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday to face one felony count of violating the Arms Export Control Act. The Act requires that anyone seeking to export items on the US Munitions List must first register with the US State Department and receive a license or other approval for the export of such articles.
The self-employed electronics salesman from New York was taken into custody yesterday afternoon after meeting with an ICE undercover agent at a storage facility in the Oak Park area.
There, Diabate paid the agent $13,200 for the weapons and accessories. That money was in addition to a $10,000 down payment the New York man made last month. After taking possession of the items, the defendant concealed them inside two television security monitors and packaged them for shipment. Diabate and the agent then drove to a local UPS store in Kearny Mesa where the suspect paid to ship one of the boxes before agents arrested him in the store's parking lot.
The investigation into Diabate began about three months ago after ICE received a tip from an industry source. During the subsequent probe, the ICE undercover agent negotiated with Diabate by email and telephone, and met with him twice in San Diego.
In the wrong hands, arms and sensitive technology pose a serious threat to national security,” said Mike Unzueta, special agent in charge for the ICE office of investigations in San Diego.
This case demonstrates the pivotal role ICE plays not only in protecting our country, but in ensuring the safety of other nations as well,” he added.
The illegal transfer of Department of Defense weapons and technology is one of the top investigative priorities at DCIS,” said Rick Gwin, special agent in charge for the DCIS Western Field Office.
The weapons Diabate purchased and attempted to export are all listed on the United States Munitions List. The cache included 38 handguns manufactured by Glock, Beretta, Smith and Wesson, and Sig-Sauer. In addition to the weapons, Diabate purchased 10 high-capacity magazines, 10 tactical flashlights, and 5 laser sights.
Diabate, who is a legal permanent resident of the United States, immigrated to this country from West Africa in 1995. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
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