US sues to seize $30 million Beverly Hills villa linked to Kurdish general Barzani

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The US Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit seeking to seize a Beverly Hills villa allegedly tied to Iraqi Kurdish general Mansur Barzani, claiming the property was bought with proceeds from a bribery and corruption scheme. According to the indictment, Barzani allegedly benefited from corrupt fuel supply contracts during US-led operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Prosecutors said a Virginia-based subcontractor received hundreds of millions of dollars under federal logistics contracts, and that a network was used to transfer and conceal the proceeds. Court documents describe the property as a French-style villa with a theater, swimming pool and expansive gardens, purchased and renovated between 2016 and 2020 using approximately $30 million in proceeds. The case forms part of a broader investigation into alleged corruption within defense contracting networks that supported fuel and logistics supply chains for US forces in the Kurdistan Region during counter-ISIS operations. No public statement has been issued by Barzani, and no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the case so far.