Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Wednesday that 41-year-old Alfredo Guerrero Espartiro conspired to purchase parts for F-5, F-4, C-130 and other aircraft for Iran.
The conspiracy was discovered by an undercover probe into Florida-based Southward Aviation Supplies.
Espartiro was arrested in January 2012 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges. He served an 18-month sentence in federal prison.
Today’s Iranian air force fleet is stocked with aging American-made planes, purchased or gifted among the former allies before the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, when diplomatic relations ceased.
Many of the planes have fallen into disrepair, and broad embargos prevent Iran from getting parts legally.