HSI & DEA RAID 31 Iranian Shell Firms — $62M Seized & Insider EXPOSED

HSI and DEA simultaneously raided 31 Iranian shell companies across LA, Houston, and Miami — seizing $62M in assets and exposing a bank insider. What started as a single flagged shipping certificate unraveled an 18-month procurement network hiding inside a naval blockade. Iran sanctions evasion, Port of Long Beach, dual-use marine components — Operation Straits Ledger, March 2026. The network moved pressure sensors, valve actuators, and navigation modules to Iranian state-owned shipping entities through 31 fake LLCs with fabricated identities and pre-programmed wire transfers. A freight compliance coordinator noticed one repeated inspection certificate number across seven consignments — and pulled a thread that exposed the entire operation. Inside: how the blockade was used as cover, how a bank compliance officer approved every transfer from the inside, and what remains unresolved.