Usama Darwich Hamade, 53, and Samir Ahmed Berro, 64, are facing federal charges for their alleged roles in a years-long conspiracy to smuggle advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components, jet engines, and surveillance gear from the United States to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The indictment, announced by U.S. Attorney Gregory G. Brooker, accuses the men of bypassing U.S. export laws and funneling military-grade technology to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Between 2009 and 2013, Hamade, Berro, and co-conspirator Issam Darwich Hamade, 55, orchestrated a series of illicit shipments involving inertial measurement units (IMUs), a jet engine, piston engines, and recording binoculars. These items, tightly controlled under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), were allegedly routed through third countries—including South Africa and the United Arab Emirates—to mask their final destination: Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon.
According to court documents, in October 2009, Usama Hamade directed an associate known as Individual A to order a jet engine and have it shipped to SAB Aerospace, a UAE-based company owned by Berro. Berro then orchestrated the transshipment of the engine to Hezbollah co-conspirators. Around the same time, Hamade had the same associate order IMUs and digital compasses, falsely claiming they would be used for wildlife surveillance in South Africa—while in reality, they were rerouted to Lebanon.
In March and May 2010, Hamade again used Individual A to procure more IMUs, this time obtaining a valid U.S. Department of State export license that authorized delivery only to South Africa. The license explicitly barred re-export, which Hamade proceeded to violate by shipping the units to Hezbollah. In January 2010, both Usama and Issam Hamade directed Individual A to purchase an exhaust system for the jet engine—bought online and integrated into the illicit operation.
Meanwhile, Samir Ahmed Berro facilitated the movement of 20 piston engines from the U.S. to a temporary recipient in Frankfurt, Germany, before shipping them to his company in the UAE and onward to Hezbollah in Lebanon. In December 2013, Usama Hamade enlisted another associate, Individual B, to hand-carry recording binoculars from Los Angeles to Beirut via commercial flight, where they were delivered directly to Hezbollah handlers.
Financial records show that between 2010 and 2011, Issam Hamade wired approximately $173,924 from a bank in Beirut to accounts controlled by Usama Hamade. The case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Docherty and David MacLaughlin. Usama Hamade and Issam Hamade are currently in custody in South Africa; Berro remains at large.
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Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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