An Oakland man, Fares Abdo Al Eyani, 40, has pleaded guilty to a scheme to smuggle firearms and advanced night vision rifle scopes to the Sultanate of Oman, federal prosecutors in San Francisco confirmed.
Al Eyani admitted to acquiring at least four firearms with magazines and ammo and a minimum of 44 scopes, monoculars, and goggles—some equipped with night vision capabilities. He then disassembled the guns, ensconced them in aluminum foil, and stowed them inside vehicles within a shipping container at the Port of Oakland, but the plot was foiled when law enforcement conducted a search and seized the weapons and scopes before they could leave American shores. The weapons were deemed defense articles, which require a license to export under the Arms Export Control Act and the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations.
In a statement obtained by the Department of Justice, Al Eyani's wife, Saba Mohsen Dhaifallah, 41, also entered a guilty plea for making false statements during the investigation under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and faces her own set of legal consequences, including a potential five-year imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The upcoming sentencing date for Al Eyani and Dhaifallah has been slated for March 22, 2024, with Al Eyani potentially facing a maximum of twenty years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine, both subject to the final discretion of Judge Charles R. Breyer after weighing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant federal statutes—outlining the stark reality of attempting to sidestep U.S. export regulations, especially ones that directly implicate national security and international diplomacy.
This case, showcasing international smuggling efforts thwarted, is being prosecuted by the National Security and Cybercrime Section of the Northern District of California, with collaborative efforts from agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
