Blackwater Settles In Arms Smuggling Case
By MISNA
The Academi LLC company, formerly known as Blackwater, agreed to pay a $7.5 million fine to settle federal criminal charges related to arms smuggling and other crimes before the US District Court in North Carolina.
The US international security contractor, also formerly known as Xe Services, in particular faced charges of illegally providing arms to Jordan, passing secret plans for armored personnel carriers to other countries without authorization and possessing automatic weapons in the United States without registration.
Founded in 1997, Blackwater is remembered in particular for its contractor services during the Iraq war and its violations in the country.
The contractors, considered actual mercenaries hired even to carry out security duties by Washington, were accused of killing numerous Iraqi civilians and of using excessive force in several occasions.
Blackwater was expelled from Iraq on 16 September 2007 after the contractors opened fire on civilian vehicles near their convoy, killing 17 Iraqis.
