US Charges 2 People in Scheme to Ship Controlled Weapons to South Sudan
Two U.S. residents tried to illegally export millions of dollars worth of automatic guns, grenade launchers, stinger missile systems, grenades, sniper rifles, ammunition and other export-controlled items to South Sudan, DOJ said in an indictment unsealed March 5. The agency said they were trying to buy the weapons to “arm opposition groups” looking to overturn the country’s government.
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The agency charged Abraham Chol Keech of Utah and Peter Biar Ajak of Maryland with conspiring to smuggle goods from the U.S. and conspiring to violate both the Arms Export Control Act and Export Control Reform Act. Keech and Ajak allegedly tried to buy the weapons and other items from undercover U.S. enforcement agents between February 2023 and February 2024 as part of a scheme to smuggle the guns to South Sudan through a third country in Africa, DOJ said.
DOJ said they both knew South Sudan was subject to a United Nations Security Council arms embargo, and that weapons exports to the country needed a license from the Commerce or State departments. The agency said they “discussed the illegality of the transaction, expressed the need to be discreet, and agreed to pay a risk fee for the weapons because of the illegal nature of the arms sale.”
In one conversation with an undercover agent, the agent “explained” to both Keech and Ajak that “facilitating a weapons purchase of this kind posed a legal risk for all of them” because the exports were illegal. But the agent said their fake company was “willing to assume that risk in exchange for an additional fee and a pledge” that the company would become the “preferred vendor for Ajak and Keech’s organization once they control South Sudan,” according to the indictment.
Ajak said he was “aware of the sanctions,” DOJ said, and promised to be “discreet.” He also told the undercover agent during a video call that he was trying to arrange “basically a coup … with both internal and external fronts” against the South Sudanese government. Ajak also said he would be installed as the country’s new prime minister, adding that he was ready to sign an agreement to give the undercover agent’s fake company “assurance” that it would be the official arms supplier to South Sudan after the regime change.
To buy the weapons, Keech and Ajak allegedly talked about disguising the weapons as “humanitarian aid,” paying bribes and hiding the “source and purpose” of their funds from banks. DOJ said when they agreed to a nearly $4 million arms contract, they also asked for a “fake contract” worth the same amount but for “consulting services” and other items, including communications equipment for activities involving refugee camps in South Sudan. Keech and Ajak transferred funds “through an intermediary company identified in the fake contract to complete the purchase,” DOJ said.
Keech and Ajak face up to 20 years in prison for each count of conspiring to violate the AECA and ECRA, and up to 10 years in prison for smuggling goods from the U.S., DOJ said.