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Bosnian Arms Dealer Sentenced for Sanctions Violations
Sasa Micev received a 60-month sentence for attempting to broker missile sales from North Korea.
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A Bosnian national, Sasa Micev, has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for violating U. S. export and sanctions laws, the U.
S. Attorney's Office announced. Micev, 43, an international arms dealer, pleaded guilty to conspiring and attempting to broker the sale of anti-aircraft missiles from North Korea, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the North Korean Sanctions Regulations.
According to court documents, Micev collaborated with a co-conspirator based in New Mexico to broker the purchase of SA-18 Igla portable surface-to-air missiles from North Korea. This transaction was attempted without the necessary licenses or approvals from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
In 2020, Micev and his co-conspirator engaged in multiple discussions about unlawfully acquiring the Igla missiles. Micev provided pricing information and participated in efforts to obtain the missiles through falsified documentation. Despite knowing the transactions were prohibited under U.
S. and international laws, Micev pursued the procurement of these weapons.
In late 2020, Micev traveled to Ankara, Turkey, with his co-conspirator to finalize the sale. However, the deal fell through due to a price dispute with the North Korean sellers.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigation’s Albuquerque and Phoenix field offices. "Those who knowingly attempt to circumvent U. S.
export controls and international sanctions to facilitate the illicit trafficking of military weapons pose a serious threat to our national security and global stability," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan G. McRae of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso.
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Tavo Hall and Holland Kastrin for the District of New Mexico, along with Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, prosecuted the case.
First Assistant U. S. Attorney Ryan Ellison emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable who attempt to evade U.
S. sanctions, stating, "This defendant helped carry out an international scheme to conduct business that U. S.
law prohibited, and this sentence holds him accountable for his role."
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