Takeshi Ebisawa, a 60-year-old Japanese national, has admitted guilt in a Manhattan court to charges related to trafficking nuclear materials, narcotics, and weapons. The case involves an extensive international network that trafficked uranium and weapons-grade plutonium from Burma, alongside heroin and methamphetamine.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen emphasized the significance of the plea: “Today’s plea should serve as a stark reminder to those who imperil our national security by trafficking weapons-grade plutonium and other dangerous materials on behalf of organized criminal syndicates that the Department of Justice will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Anne Milgram, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), highlighted the agency's role in dismantling criminal networks: “This case demonstrates DEA’s unparalleled ability to dismantle the world's most dangerous criminal networks. Our investigation into Takeshi Ebisawa and his associates exposed the shocking depths of international organized crime from trafficking nuclear materials to fueling the narcotics trade and arming violent insurgents.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim stated: “As he admitted in federal court today, Takeshi Ebisawa brazenly trafficked nuclear material, including weapons-grade plutonium, out of Burma.”
The investigation began around 2019 when Ebisawa was linked to large-scale narcotics and weapons trafficking. He unknowingly introduced an undercover DEA agent into his network, which spanned several countries including Japan, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
Ebisawa attempted to broker deals for heavy weaponry such as surface-to-air missiles with ethnic armed groups in Burma. In exchange for these arms, he planned to distribute heroin and methamphetamine in New York.
In early 2020, Ebisawa also tried selling nuclear materials. He presented photographs of substances purportedly containing thorium and uranium. An undercover agent posed as an Iranian general interested in acquiring these materials for a nuclear program.
Authorities seized samples believed to contain uranium and thorium with assistance from Thai officials. U.S. laboratories confirmed these samples contained detectable levels of uranium, thorium, and weapons-grade plutonium.
Ebisawa pleaded guilty to six counts outlined in a superseding indictment with varying prison terms associated with each charge.
The DEA conducted this investigation with support from various international offices and partners in Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand. The prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation aimed at disrupting high-level criminal organizations threatening U.S. security.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky, Alexander Li, Kevin T. Sullivan along with Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin are leading the prosecution effort.