Guam - A 40-year-old Taiwanese man was arrested by federal authorities on Guam Thursday accused of exporting missile components from the United States to Iran. He faces charges of illegally exporting commodities for Iran's missile program.  Yi-Lan Chen (aka, "Kevin Chen") appeared in the District Court of Guam late Thursday and was remanded to the custody of us marshals and will be transferred to Florida.

According to a press release from the Justice Department, Chen allegedly facilitated the purchase and export of various dual use goods from the U.S. to Iran by way of Taiwan and Hong Kong.  "Dual use" goods are goods and technologies that have commercial application, but also could make a significant contribution to the military or nuclear potential of other nations and could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States. 

Iran has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism and remains subject to United States, the United Nations and European Union economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism and its nuclear weapons ambitions.  The dual use items allegedly exported in this case could easily be used in missile development and other military components.  

If convicted, Chen faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, and possible fines of up to $1 million.  No date has been set for Chen's first appearance in the Southern District of Florida.