An Afghan national, Haji Abdul Satar Abdul Manaf, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a federal judge in New York for his involvement in narco-terrorism and witness tampering, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced. According to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Manaf worked closely with terrorist groups, such as the Taliban, to expand his heroin trafficking operations into the United States, and did not hesitate to silence a witness through kidnapping at gunpoint.
Acting in cooperation with law enforcement, Manaf was convicted after a two-week trial concluded in August 2024. Evidence presented at trial included recorded calls and electronic communications which showed that Manaf attempted to import ton-quantities of heroin into the U.S., recognizing that some of the proceeds would benefit the Taliban and Haqqani Network. U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who presided over the trial, also sentenced Manaf to five years of supervised release. "Today's sentence sends a clear message: narco-terrorists who bankroll terror and threaten American lives will be brought to justice, no matter where they hide," said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram according to the release.
The Department of Treasury had previously sanctioned Manaf in June 2012, under the terrorism sanctions authority, for his financial contributions to the Taliban and aiding their fight against coalition forces. The trial further revealed Manaf's extensive involvement in the drug trade, including a sold shipment of heroin intended to be distributed in New York City and financial transactions supporting the Haqqani Network, a faction known for acts of terrorism against U.S. interests.
While awaiting trial and incarcerated in New York, Manaf also directed his family members to kidnap a DEA source who had acted as a witness. Manaf instructed his brothers to not let the source "go even for a minute," a clear attempt to interfere with the integrity of the judicial process. His family members followed these instructions, kidnapping the DEA source at gunpoint and threatening his life.
The collaborative efforts leading to Manaf's prosecution were acknowledged by Mr. Williams, highlighting the work of the DEA's Special Operations Division, several DEA country offices, the Government of Estonia, and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. The prosecution was carried out by the Office's National Security and International Narcotics Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Nicholas S. Bradley, and Kimberly J. Ravener in charge, receiving assistance from Trial Attorney Joshua Champagne of the Counterterrorism Section.
