Illegal Arms Export To Sanctioned South Sudan Leads To Prison Sentences

Two men have been sentenced to prison for conspiring to illegally export nearly $4 million worth of military-grade weapons to sanctioned South Sudan, in breach of United States export controls and international arms embargo restrictions.

On 6 February 2026, Peter Biar Ajak, 42, of Maryland, was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai in the District of Arizona. His co-defendant, Abraham Chol Keech, 46, of Utah, was sentenced on 18 December 2025 to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Arms Export Control Act AECA and Conspiracy to Violate the Export Control Reform Act ECRA.

The case sits squarely at the intersection of export controls, sanctions enforcement and national security. South Sudan is subject to an arms embargo, making the export of defence articles without a licence a serious criminal offence. Prosecutors said the defendants were fully aware of the sanctions and embargo framework but deliberately sought to circumvent it.

Between February 2023 and March 2024, the defendants attempted to procure and export a substantial arsenal of controlled weapons and ammunition without the required licences. The planned shipment included ten Stinger missile systems, 200 grenade launchers, more than 1,000 machine guns and rifles, and over 3.5 million rounds of ammunition, all classified as export-controlled military equipment.

According to court documents, the weapons were intended for opposition groups seeking to overthrow the South Sudanese government, with Ajak planning to install himself as president following a coup. To facilitate the scheme, the defendants discussed bribery, disguising the weapons as humanitarian aid and falsifying documentation to conceal the true nature of transactions from financial institutions and regulators.

A fake invoice was created to obscure the source and purpose of nearly $2 million raised to fund the arms purchases. As part of their plea agreements, both defendants agreed to forfeit those funds, which had already been seized by the United States.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations HSI, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service DCIS, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI.

From a sanctions compliance perspective, the case reinforces the legal exposure facing individuals and corporates involved in attempts to bypass arms embargoes and export control regimes. It underscores the importance of robust sanctions screening, enhanced due diligence on high-risk jurisdictions, and careful scrutiny of trade finance transactions that may be mischaracterised as humanitarian or development activity.

Enforcement under AECA and ECRA remains a core pillar of United States national security strategy, particularly where sanctioned countries and embargoed destinations are involved. Financial institutions, exporters, defence contractors and logistics providers should treat this prosecution as a clear signal that sanctions evasion linked to arms trafficking will attract aggressive criminal enforcement and significant custodial sentences.

Read the press release here.