Company Insists Seized Exports Were Legal
Satellite Technology Management says in a statement to be released today that experts it has hired confirm that a $1.5-million shipment of computer and other equipment seized by federal export officials was being legally shipped to Iran.
The Costa Mesa company said that both a former Commerce Department technical expert and a Washington export attorney it has hired have found the shipment and supporting documents in order.
The computer and satellite communication system “is clearly decontrolled and eligible for export to Iran without prior U.S. government approval under current and prevailing regulations,” Hans van Gelder, the technical expert, said in the company statement.
U.S. export enforcement officials seized the allegedly illegal cargo last month at the Port of Long Beach just before it was to be shipped out.
Agents said in an affidavit that Satellite Technology had not obtained the proper export documents and had broken the law in a previous shipment.
The company denied the allegations, and no charges have been filed against it or any company officials. Export enforcement officials could not be reached Tuesday for comment on the company’s statement.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
