Armenian citizen sentenced in U.S. for smuggling sanctioned goods to Russia

A federal court in Texas has sentenced Kamo Kirakosian, an Armenian citizen, to 26 years in prison for his involvement in an illegal scheme to export controlled goods from the United States to Russia.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the U.S. imposed strict export sanctions, particularly targeting dual-use technologies that could be utilized in the production of Russian weaponry. The court found that Kirakosian’s exports included items potentially used in semiconductor manufacturing.

According to court findings, Kirakosian acted as a nominal buyer for his co-conspirators, misrepresenting his status to U.S. companies regarding the final end-users. He also provided instructions to accomplices on opening bank accounts in Armenia to evade sanctions. Kirakosian was extradited from Germany to the U.S. in 2025 and pleaded guilty to the charges in early 2026.