Takeshi Ebisawa, Yakuza Leader, Pleads Guilty in DEA Sting to Trafficking Uranium and Plutonium from Myanmar to Iran

Jan 9, 2025, 05:04 AM

Takeshi Ebisawa, a 60-year-old Japanese national and alleged leader of a Yakuza crime syndicate, has pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court to conspiring to traffic nuclear materials from Myanmar to other countries, including Iran. Ebisawa admitted to working with an international network of associates to sell uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, as well as engaging in international narcotics trafficking and weapons charges. The nuclear materials were intended for use in a nuclear weapons program, and Ebisawa also conspired to broker the purchase of U.S.-made surface-to-air missiles and other heavy-duty weaponry in exchange for large quantities of heroin and methamphetamine. The plea was part of a DEA sting operation, and Ebisawa faces a maximum of life in prison for the most serious charges.