U.S. offers $15 million reward for woman, 3 accomplices accused of smuggling drone technology to Iran
The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $15 million for a woman and three accomplices who have been allegedly smuggling U.S. technology to Iran for nearly 20 years.
Liu Baoxia, also known as Emily Liu, allegedly worked with three associates to use front companies in China to send U.S. electronic components to companies linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the State Department
said in a news release
. The associates were identified as Li Yongxin, also known as Emma Lee; Yung Yiu Wa, also known as Stephen Yung; and Zhong Yanlai, also known as Sydney Chung.
The electronic components could be used in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, ballistic missile systems, and other "military end uses," the State Department said. Thousands of components were sent, the State Department
said in another post
.
Liu and her associates allegedly misrepresented who the electronic components would be sent to, so they were exported to the Chinese front companies under the belief they were being sent to China. Instead, they were exported to Iran-linked companies Shiraz Electronics Industries, Rayan Roshd Afzar, and their affiliates, the State Department said.
Federal charges against the four, including conspiracy, were announced in January 2024. Known locations for Liu and her associates are Tehran, Iran; Shiraz, Iran; Bandar Abbas, Iran; Beijing, China, and Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Federal arrest warrants have been issued for
Liu
and
Chung
, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has added them to its "Most Wanted" list. The U.S. State Department said its Rewards For Justice program was offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to their arrest.
The IRGC regularly uses front companies to make and move money, and to procure technology while
evading sanctions and trade controls
, the State Department said. The IRGC and Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, which supervises the development and production of the nation's military weapons, have utilitized U.S. technology to manufacture arms and weapons systems, the State Department said. Those systems are then sold to governments and groups in Iranian-allied countries like Russia, Sudan and
Yemen
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fans Are Worried After Reported Seattle Storm News
Fans Are Worried After Reported Seattle Storm News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Currently holding a 4–4 record, the Seattle Storm has experienced both impressive victories and disappointing losses so far during their 2025 season. Their star point guard, Skylar Diggins, leads the team with an average of 16.8 points and 6.4 assists per game, while Nneka Ogwumike contributes around nine rebounds per game. Their recent 83–77 victory over the Dallas Wings snapped a three-game losing streak on Tuesday. Advertisement But off the court, the Storm have faced challenges. It was announced on Wednesday morning by sports journalist Khristina Williams that there is currently an investigation being launched into the Storm's coaching staff by the WNBA and league security. Williams provided no additional information about the case, which caused confusion and suspicions from fans. "why kind of investigation?" a fan asked on X. "that's very broad." An X user wrote, "Will like to read the details on this." "For what?" another wrote. "This post is so vague." Advertisement "Excuse me?????," an X user posted. "AND league security?!?" someone commented. "Dang." "Jewel tried to tell everybody," one fan wrote. Jewell Loyd, who now plays for the Las Vegas Aces but originally played for the Storm for 10 seasons, filed a complaint against Noelle Quinn and the coaching staff back in November 2024. An investigation was conducted, but it concluded without finding any violations. Lloyd requested a trade hours after the conclusion was announced. Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) shoots a foul shot against the Washington Mystics in the second quarter of the game at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images The news of the investigation was released hours after Chinese basketball player Li Yueru requested a trade. Many are wondering if her requesting a trade has anything to do with the investigation. Advertisement "Can we get an update?" a user asked Williams, who has not posted on X for the past hour. "Does this have to do with the recent trade request????" "Li said 'I don't want no part in this. Get me outta hereeee,'" a WNBA fan account joked. Another joked, "WNBA don't overreact to a trade request challenge: impossible." "Where there's constant smoke 💨…." someone speculated. Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner (42) and Seattle Storm center Li Yueru (28).John Froschauer-Imagn Images Seattle or the WNBA has yet to comment on the ongoing investigation, and additional details have not been released. The Storm is set to play against the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday. Advertisement Related: Indiana Fever Responds to WNBA Investigation Involving Angel Reese This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
E&E News
9 minutes ago
- E&E News
US to skip Bonn climate talks as world charts path to COP30
The Trump administration is bailing on a climate summit in Bonn, Germany, that has long served as a stepping stone to broader international talks later in the year. The State Department confirmed the decision not to send a delegation to the Bonn meeting next week, but did not offer a reason. It will be the first time the United States has not had some presence at the climate talks since they began 30 years ago, when they were first held in Geneva. The move is the latest sign the U.S. is stepping back from global climate negotiations. President Donald Trump announced in January that he was exiting the Paris climate agreement, a pact among nearly 200 nations to limit global warming. Advertisement Since then, the U.S. has skipped several related international meetings, including the U.N. Ocean Conference, now ongoing, and the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, held in March. As the State Department evaluates America's continued participation in other international treaties and organizations, it already has announced it's eliminating the Office of Global Change, which oversaw international climate change negotiations.
Fast Company
14 minutes ago
- Fast Company
How China's monopoly on rare earth minerals gives it an edge in trade talks
Critical minerals as a trade issue Responding to ever higher tariffs and other controls on advanced technology, China told exporters of certain key rare earths and other critical minerals to obtain licenses for every shipment abroad. Approvals can take weeks, leading to supply chain disruptions in the U.S. and other countries. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China would make it easier for American industry to obtain much-needed needed magnets and rare earth minerals, clearing the way for talks to continue between the world's two biggest economies. In return, Trump said, the U.S. will stop efforts to revoke the visas of Chinese nationals on U.S. college campuses. But details remain scarce. Beijing has not confirmed what the negotiators agreed to, and Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump himself have yet to sign off on it. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Saturday it had approved a 'certain number' of export licenses for rare earth products, apparently acknowledging Trump's personal request to Xi during a phone call last week. And on Wednesday, the Ganzhou-based rare-earth conglomerate JL MAG Rare-Earth Co. confirmed it had obtained some export licenses for shipments to destinations including the U.S., Europe and Southeast Asia. Experts say, however, Beijing is unlikely to do away with the permit system enabling it to control access to those valuable resources. 'I think what the Chinese have proven is they have now created an entire export control regime for rare earths,' said Daniel Kritenbrink, a partner at The Asia Group consultancy. 'They can turn that spigot on and off at will.' The only scenario in which China might deregulate its critical minerals export is if the U.S. fully removes tariffs imposed on Chinese goods as part of the trade war, said Wang Yiwei, a professor of international affairs at Renmin University, echoing the Chinese government's earlier stance. 'Without that,' he said, 'it will be difficult to blame China for continuing to strengthen its export controls.' An industry built over decades with government support In 1992, Deng Xiaoping, the leader who launched China's ascent as the world's biggest manufacturing power, famously said 'the Middle East has oil, China has rare earths,' signaling a desire to leverage access to the key minerals. Several generations later, Beijing has made its rich reserves of rare earths, a group of 17 minerals that are abundant in the earth's crust but hard, expensive and environmentally polluting to process, a key element of China's economic security. In 2019, during a visit to a rare earth processing plant in Ganzhou, Xi described rare earths as a 'vital strategic resource.' China today has an essential monopoly over 'heavy rare earths,' used for making powerful, heat-resistance magnets used in industries such as defense and electric vehicles. The country also produces around 80% of the world's tungsten, gallium and antimony, and 60% of the world's germanium — all minerals used in the making of semiconductors, among other advanced technologies. The risks of dependency on Chinese suppliers first came into focus in 2010, when Beijing suspended rare earths exports to Japan due to a territorial dispute. The ban was lifted after about two months, but as a precaution, Japan invested in rare earths processing plants in other countries and began stockpiling the materials. Beijing's across-the-board requirement for export licenses for some critical minerals has put pressure on world electronics manufacturers and automakers. Some auto parts makers in Europe have shut down production lines due to delays in supply deliveries, according to the European Association of Automotive Suppliers. In the U.S., Tesla CEO Elon Musk said a shortage of rare earths is affecting his company's work on humanoid robots. China's critical minerals resources are dwindling In the drab industrial hub of Ganzhou, cradled by the scenic Dayu Mountains, the U.S.-China trade war is still a distant stressor. Miners and small mineral traders interviewed by The Associated Press said they are more concerned about depleting the mountains' once-abundant resources. Zhong, a tungsten factory manager in Ganzhou who would only give his last name, worked his way up to manager from a miner, but he's unsure there is a future for him and others in the industry. 'I find growing difficulties to source tungsten these days,' he said, adding that smaller mines and trading companies are slowly disappearing as the resources are dwindling. Tungsten is an ultra-hard metal used in armor-piercing ammunition, nuclear reactors and semiconductors. At least five tungsten mines have closed in the area in recent years, according to state media. Remaining reserves are deeper and harder to extract and process after decades of exploitation, said Li Shangkui, chairman of the Ganzhou-based Jiangxi Yuean Advanced Materials Co., Ltd. Processing factories in Ganzhou now routinely source materials from other provinces or other countries. Zhong's plant imports some raw materials from places like Africa and Cambodia. Major state-owned and private companies in Ganzhou are also ramping up investments abroad. Tungsten producer Ganzhou Haisheng, for instance, announced last year a $25 million investment in a new tungsten plant in Thailand. Whatever the challenges in procuring raw materials, China likely will seek to maintain its dominance in critical minerals, said Fabian Villalobos, an engineer and critical minerals expert at the RAND think tank.
