U.S. raises alarms over technology theft by Iran, Russia
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) –The head of a key unit at the Department of Homeland Security has raised an alarm about the presence of sensitive materials in Iranian weapons abroad. This serves as a fresh warning about how U.S. adversaries are attempting to steal American technology.
In an interview with ABC NEWS, Jim Mancuso, the assistant director of the Global Trade Division at Homeland Security Investigations, revealed that the Iranian drones that have been retrieved in Ukraine and various parts of the Middle East are equipped with sensitive U.S. communications systems and delicate microelectronics.
Iran, China, and Russia are actively involved in illegal attempts to obtain U.S. technology, according to Jim Mancuso.
U.S. officials have cautioned about China’s cyber operations as well as its efforts to steal American intellectual property, since Mancuso highlighted illegal smuggling of U.S. technology by adversaries via a vast network, violating export laws.
He further explained that specialized “procurement networks” route goods through China to reach countries like Iran, allowing adversaries to acquire technology, including microchips, through this process, which are then loaded onto an Iranian aircraft for transportation to Iran.
Mancuso noted that a similar pattern has been observed with Russia, as Russian networks operating within the country are repackaging sensitive U.S. equipment to support the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
Mancuso stated that authorities are actively targeting “procurement networks,” and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) initiates investigations when U.S. materials are found in inappropriate places.