Sea Captain Convicted Smuggling for Houthis

A federal jury convicted Pakistani sea captain on multiple terrorism and weapons trafficking charges related to smuggling Iranian-made advanced conventional weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Evidence presented at trial showed that on January 11, 2024, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard forces aboard the USS Lewis B. Puller interdicted an unflagged dhow in the Arabian Sea. Aboard, they found ballistic missile components, anti-ship cruise missile parts, and a warhead consistent with weapons used in Houthi attacks on commercial and U.S. military vessels following the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel.

Muhammad Pahlawan, who captained the vessel, conspired with IRGC-affiliated Iranian nationals Shahab and Yunus Mir’kazei to complete multiple arms-smuggling voyages from Iran to Somalia, involving ship-to-ship transfers and encrypted coordination. He also threatened crew members and obstructed U.S. personnel during the interdiction.

Convictions include conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, supporting Iran’s and the IRGC’s weapons of mass destruction programs, and unlawful transport of explosives. Pahlawan faces up to 20 years in prison per count at sentencing on September 22.

The case was led by the DOJ’s National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, with support from the FBI, NCIS, DOD, DHS, and other federal agencies