[craig nigrelli]

AN UPDATE TO A STORY WE BROUGHT YOU LAST YEAR: A HIGH-RANKING YAKUZA LEADER HAS PLEADED GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT TO TRAFFICKING WEAPONS-GRADE NUCLEAR MATERIAL, BELIEVING IT WAS DESTINED FOR IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM. THIS CASE REVEALS A GLOBAL SMUGGLING OPERATION INVOLVING DRUGS, WEAPONS, AND RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS.

TAKESHI EBISAWA, A 60-YEAR-OLD ALLEGED LEADER IN JAPAN’S YAKUZA, ENTERED HIS PLEA IN A MANHATTAN FEDERAL COURT WEDNESDAY. PROSECUTORS SAY HE ATTEMPTED TO SELL WEAPONS-GRADE PLUTONIUM AND URANIUM, SOURCED FROM MYANMAR, TO AN INDIVIDUAL HE BELIEVED WAS AN IRANIAN GENERAL. THAT “GENERAL” TURNED OUT TO BE AN UNDERCOVER DEA AGENT.

BETWEEN 2020 AND 2022, EBISAWA PROVIDED PHOTOS, RADIATION READINGS, AND SUPPOSED LAB REPORTS TO DEMONSTRATE THE RADIOACTIVITY OF THE MATERIAL. U.S. OFFICIALS LATER CONFIRMED THE MATERIAL WAS WEAPONS-GRADE—SUITABLE FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

ONE OF EBISAWA’S CO-CONSPIRATORS CLAIMED TO HAVE ACCESS TO MORE THAN 4,400 POUNDS OF THORIUM-232 AND OVER 220 POUNDS OF URANIUM IN THE FORM OF U3O8, A COMPOUND COMMONLY FOUND IN THE URANIUM CONCENTRATE POWDER KNOWN AS “YELLOWCAKE.”

ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, EBISAWA PLANNED TO USE THE PROFITS TO BUY MILITARY WEAPONS, INCLUDING SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES, FOR INSURGENT GROUPS IN MYANMAR.

BUT HIS SCHEME WENT BEYOND NUCLEAR MATERIALS. EBISAWA ALSO CONSPIRED TO TRAFFIC 11-HUNDRED POUNDS EACH OF HEROIN AND METHAMPHETAMINE INTO THE U.S. AND ATTEMPTED TO LAUNDER 100-THUOSAND DOLLARS IN DRUG PROCEEDS BETWEEN NEW YORK AND TOKYO. HIS 2022 ARREST FOLLOWED A DEA-LED STING OPERATION, WITH SUPPORT FROM THAI AUTHORITIES, THAT TARGETED BOTH HIS NARCOTICS AND WEAPONS TRAFFICKING NETWORKS.

ADDITIONAL CHARGES WERE FILED LAST YEAR AFTER INVESTIGATORS UNCOVERED THE FULL EXTENT OF HIS CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE, INCLUDING HIS INVOLVEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL DRUG AND WEAPONS SMUGGLING. EBISAWA NOW FACES SIX CHARGES, INCLUDING NUCLEAR TRAFFICKING, DRUG IMPORTATION, AND MONEY LAUNDERING. IF CONVICTED, HE FACES A MANDATORY MINIMUM OF 10 YEARS IN PRISON AND A POSSIBLE LIFE SENTENCE. HIS SENTENCING IS SET FOR APRIL.

DEA ADMINISTRATOR ANNE MILGRAM PRAISED THE OPERATION, SAYING IT HIGHLIGHTS THE AGENCY’S ABILITY TO DISMANTLE SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS CRIMINAL NETWORKS. SHE NOTED THE CASE EXPOSED THE FAR REACH OF ORGANIZED CRIME, DEALING IN DRUGS, WEAPONS, AND EVEN NUCLEAR MATERIALS.

ONCE A POWERFUL FORCE IN INTERNATIONAL CRIME, THE YAKUZA’S MEMBERSHIP HAS SHRUNK TO ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF ITS SIZE FROM TWO DECADES AGO, ACCORDING TO JAPAN’S NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY. STRICT LAWS IN JAPAN HAVE LIMITED MEMBERS’ ABILITY TO OPERATE OPENLY AND FINANCIALLY, FORCING THEM TO ADAPT.

PROSECUTORS SAY EBISAWA’S ACTIONS POSED GRAVE RISKS TO GLOBAL SECURITY. ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK CALLED HIS PLAN “BRAZEN” AND POINTED TO THE POTENTIAL CATASTROPHE IF THE NUCLEAR MATERIAL HAD BEEN SOLD OR USED IN A WEAPON.

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