In what seems like a plot lifted from an international thriller, U.S. authorities charged a 60-year-old alleged Japanese Yakuza boss, Takeshi Ebisawa, with attempting to sell nuclear materials to Iran, officials announced Feb. 21. Ebisawa is accused of trying to distribute uranium and weapons-grade plutonium to an undercover agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), who was posing as a trafficker in drugs and weapons.
In 2020, Ebisawa reportedly initiated contact with the undercover agent, claiming to possess a significant quantity of nuclear materials for sale. He is said to have provided photos of rocks next to radiation detectors and supposed lab reports to demonstrate the presence of dangerous substances like thorium and uranium.
As part of an extensive investigation, the agent orchestrated a mock meeting between Ebisawa and an individual posing as an Iranian general interested in purchasing the materials for a nuclear project. Prosecutors allege that Ebisawa boasted he could supply “plutonium,” citing its superior power compared to uranium.
In exchange for the nuclear materials, Ebisawa allegedly sought surface-to-air missiles for armed groups in Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
“The defendant stands accused of conspiring to sell weapons-grade nuclear material and lethal narcotics from Burma, and to purchase military weaponry on behalf of an armed insurgent group. It is chilling to imagine the consequences had these efforts succeeded,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said, highlighting the grave implications of the scheme.
The materials obtained in the sting operation were later confirmed to be of weapons-grade quality, suitable for constructing a nuclear weapon. Ebisawa and his associates reportedly claimed access to over 4,409 pounds of thorium-232 and more than 220 pounds of uranium, specifically as “yellowcake” uranium, suggesting this could yield up to 5 tons of nuclear material.
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram condemned the accused’s actions, stating, “As alleged, the defendants in this case trafficked in drugs, weapons, and nuclear material — going so far as to offer uranium and weapons-grade plutonium fully expecting that Iran would use it for nuclear weapons.”
Ebisawa, who was previously arrested in 2022 for international narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses, now faces seven separate counts and could be sentenced to life in prison. His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 22 in Manhattan.
