Feds: Guns smuggled from Midwest to Middle East via Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The ABC7 I-Team is looking into a Middle East gun smuggling case between rural Iowa, Chicago, Virginia and Lebanon. Federal agents say the weapons were hidden in relief supplies being shipped to Beirut.

It's 6,200 miles and a culture apart between Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Beirut, Lebanon. An international gun-smuggling operation between the two is not the kind of crime you'd expect, but now four Cedar Rapids residents are in federal custody, charged with using charity shipments as cover for guns and ammo. Several suspects are frequent visitors here and used Chicago as a transhipment point, according to Homeland Security agents.

On Tuesday, federal agents forced their way into a family-owned pizza parlor in Cedar Rapids as U.S. Homeland Security officers raided other locations in eastern Iowa.

"I have no idea, I just came, the officer had called me, they told me they have to break the window to get in, I said, sure. That's all I know," said Maitham Herz, who is related to the suspects.

Four of Maitham Herz's family members are now in federal custody, including two brothers, 50-year-old Ali Herz and Bassem Herz. and his 24-year-old wife, Sarah Zeaiter. Those family members were frequent visitors to Chicago, according to their social media profiles.

According to authorities, they arranged to ship hundreds of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition by truck from Cedar Rapids to Chicago, where it would be transferred to rail cars for delivery to Norfolk, Va., and from there by cargo ship to Beirut, Lebanon.

Court records charging them with conspiracy and illegal shipment of guns concealed in clothing and relief supplies. One hundred and fifty-two firearms were in two containers, according to authorities, along with the thousands of rounds of ammo allegedly hidden in Bobcat skid loaders purchased in Illinois.

On Ali Herz's Facebook page, there is video of a similar Bobcat apparently already in use overseas. Investigators are looking at whether a similar M.O. was used for previous shipments.

Investigators say the guns were covered in wrappings from the pizza restaurant, inside shipments from a clothing drive run by a Cedar Rapids company.

"Midamar and their directors and employees had no knowledge, no participation knowingly in shipping any firearms or ammunition in this case," said Mike Lahammer, attorney for Midamar Corporation.

Federal prosecutors say this case began last year when a licensed gun dealer in eastern Iowa became suspicious about large purchases and tipped off the FBI.

All four suspects are being held without bond. Detention hearings are scheduled for Friday.