US charges alleged Yakuza boss in plot to sell nuclear materials to Iran

RYAN ROBERTSON

IN A MOVE STRAIGHT OUT OF A HIGH-STAKES INTERNATIONAL THRILLER, THE US CHARGED AN ALLEGED JAPANESE YAKUZA BOSS WITH A NEFARIOUS NUCLEAR PLOT ON WEDNESDAY, AUTHORITIES UNVEILED CHARGES AGAINST 60-YEAR OLD TAKESHI EBISAWA, WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO SELL NUCLEAR MATERIALS TO IRAN.

EBISAWA IS ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTING TO DISTRIBUTE URANIUM AND WEAPONS-GRADE PLUTONIUM TO AN UNDERCOVER AGENT FROM THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION POSING AS A DRUG AND WEAPONS TRAFFICKER. 

IN 20-20 EBISAWA REPORTEDLY REACHED OUT TO THE UNDERCOVER AGENT CLAIMING HE HAD A SIGNIFICANT STASH OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS UP FOR SALE. HE EVEN SENT OVER PHOTOS SHOWING ROCKS NEXT TO RADIATION DETECTORS, ALONG WITH SUPPOSED LAB REPORTS TO PROVE THEY CONTAINED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES LIKE THORIUM AND URANIUM. 

AS PART OF THE YEARS-LONG INVESTIGATION THE AGENT DECIDED TO SET UP A FAKE MEETING BETWEEN EBISAWA AND SOMEONE POSING AS IRANIAN GENERAL LOOKING TO BUY THE MATERIALS FOR A NUCLEAR PROJECT. PROSECUTORS SAY EBISAWA CLAIMED HE COULD PROVIDE “PLUTONIUM,” TOUTING ITS SUPERIOR POWER OVER URANIUM.

IN RETURN, EBISAWA ALLEGEDLY SOUGHT SURFACE TO AIR MISSILES FOR ARMED GROUPS IN MYANMAR AND SRI LANKA. 

IN A PRESS RELEASE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL MATTHEW OLSEN EXPRESSED THE DIRE IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH ACTIONS:

MATTHEW G. OLSEN | ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR NATIONAL SECURITY

“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.”

RYAN ROBERTSON

THE NUCLEAR MATERIALS AGENTS OBTAINED WERE LATER CONFIRMED TO BE  WEAPONS-GRADE QUALITY MAKING THEM VIABLE FOR USE IN CONSTRUCTING A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

EBISAWA AND HIS ASSOCIATES REPORTEDLY DISCUSSED HAVING ACCESS TO OVER 4,409 POUNDS OF THORIUM-232 AND MORE THAN 220 POUNDS OF URANIUM, SPECIFICALLY AS “YELLOWCAKE” URANIUM. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THIS COULD PRODUCE UP TO 5-TONS OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL.

DEA ADMINISTRATOR ANNE MILGRAM CALLED THE CRIME BOSS’S EFFORTS  DEPRAVED, ADDING:

ANNE MILGRAM | ADMINISTRATOR, DEA

“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.” 

RYAN ROBERTSON

EBISAWA – WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN 2022 FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND FIREARMS OFFENSES – NOW FACES SEVEN SEPARATE COUNTS AND COULD RECEIVE A LIFE SENTENCE. HIS ARRAIGNMENT IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY IN MANHATTAN.