For years, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps had been acquiring American technology for uranium enrichment through an elaborate network of Chinese front companies. 14 shell companies placed orders with 67 American manufacturers across 23 states. 847 shipments of dual-use technology — vacuum pumps, centrifuge components, precision bearings, electronic controllers — had reached Iranian nuclear facilities.

The FBI discovered the network when a compliance officer noticed suspicious shipping changes. Investigation revealed the full scope: Chinese front companies created to deceive American exporters, 12 American citizens who knowingly facilitated illegal transfers, and IRGC officers coordinating procurement from Dubai, Malaysia, and Turkey.

Operation ATOMIC SHIELD launched 7 days before critical uranium enrichment equipment was scheduled to leave American soil. The shipment was seized at Long Beach. 12 American collaborators were arrested. 14 front companies were sanctioned. $890 million in assets were frozen. The seizure prevented Iran from achieving weapons-grade enrichment capability within 18 months.