Lebanese man in US imprisoned for 'shipping firearms to Hizballah'

According to prosecutors, Fadi Yassine, 43, colluded with others to arrange a shipment of firearms from the Iowa state city of Cedar Rapids to Lebanon to resell them to the Shia militia group, designated as a terrorist organisation in the US. He now faces a 57 month prison sentence.

“Yassine was arrested on February 5 in New York City as he entered the United States from Lebanon,” the US Department of Justice said.

US District Judge Linda Reade said he was also responsible for trafficking at least 100 firearms in 2014.

Yassine’s lawyer attempted to decrease the sentencing by claiming that his client was unaware about the trafficked weapons, which was rejected by Judge Reade.