While stationed in the Middle East, I witnessed Iran’s deliberate targeting of Americans, which has been ongoing for 47 years. The Iranian regime has systematically killed thousands of American military personnel and civilians, including my friends, by funding and directing terror groups that have, in turn, supported adversaries like China and Russia with affordable oil, rockets, and drone tech.
This proxy war isn’t cheap for Iran; they funnel billions annually into foreign terrorism. Therefore, it’s vital for the U.S. to uphold its sanctions and military pressure against this rogue state, especially given Iran’s recent attacks on civilian shipping and energy sectors in the Gulf.
The sanctions we impose restrict the resources necessary for Iran to carry out its violence, which is pivotal in the global fight against terrorism. That’s why I was relieved when President Trump signed a memorandum in February 2025 instructing the Secretary of the Treasury to exert maximum economic pressure on Iran.
Congress has also taken steps to enable U.S. courts to restrain Iranian influence by allowing them to seize illicit Iranian assets for the benefit of terrorism victims. Thanks to these laws, victims of Iranian terrorism are actively seeking hidden Iranian assets, undermining Iran’s attempts at commercial cover and money laundering.
Creating this strategy has not only paved a path to justice for American families but has also deprived Iran of billions that could fund further terror against innocent Americans and our brave military personnel.
Currently, a group of victims, including the mother of Lt. Jacob Fritz—who was abducted and executed by Iranian forces in Iraq in 2007—is fighting in court for billions in Iranian cryptocurrency.
These Gold Star families provided extensive expert reports showcasing how approximately $15 billion in Bitcoin has been mined by Iranian and Chinese investors, aiding Iran in evading sanctions. They’ve requested that the court allocate these funds to thousands of victims with judgments against Iran.
However, I was shocked to see Joseph Nocera Jr. in the Eastern District of New York opposing these Gold Star families, especially in light of Congress and Trump’s clear directive to leverage every measure of national power against Iran.
Nocera contends that the bitcoins are not connected to Iran but rather stem from a Southeast Asian fraud ring, without any evidence to counter the Gold Star family’s claims. He has admitted that bitcoins were mined in Iran but still insists on his own narrative.
His stance is particularly troubling because if he persuades the court that these bitcoins aren’t connected to Iran, it risks billions being returned to the regime and its allies, undermining the very sanctions designed to contain them. This is far from a trivial matter; it’s frankly an embarrassment within our justice system and disrespects the families of those who sacrificed so much for our country.
According to Nocera’s own complaint, the bitcoins had already left Chen’s control when the alleged fraud occurred, and there’s no proof tying them to any misconduct. Pictures associated with Chen’s case supposedly depict torture victims from his criminal organization, but independent journalists have shown they don’t support that narrative and include unrelated incidents.
The Department of Justice recently announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District has been working for years with victims of Iranian terrorism to dismantle an Iranian money laundering operation in Manhattan.
What should have been a straightforward process for justice has instead devolved into a national embarrassment. Nocera ought to cease his opposition and let the Gold Star families pursue their well-documented case against Iran.
As the U.S. comes closer to possibly ending this malignant regime and while peace talks are underway, we should focus on preventing any funds from reaching terrorists, rather than seeking ways that inadvertently bolster government finances.
