ICE Arrests 11 Iranian Illegal Immigrants

Eleven Iranian nationals who were living in the United States illegally were arrested over the weekend, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday.

Authorities also arrested a U.S. citizen who allegedly harbored one of the Iranian nationals and threatened to kill ICE agents.

The illegal immigrants include an Iranian national with admitted ties to Hezbollah, a known or suspected terrorist, and an alleged former sniper for the Iranian army, according to DHS.

“Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

The Arrests

The 11 Iranians, all men, represent a threat to public safety, according to officials. Five of those arrested possess criminal convictions, including for grand larceny and drug and firearm possession.

Ribvar Karimi was arrested by ICE agents in Locust, Alabama, on June 22. Karimi served as an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021, authorities said. He entered the United States on a K-1 visa, which is available to foreign nationals who are engaged to be married to American citizens.

“Karimi never adjusted his status—a legal requirement—and is removable from the United States,” DHS said. He is currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Mehran Makari Saheli, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was also arrested. Saheli has “admitted connections to Hezbollah,” a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization backed by Iran, according to DHS. Saheli, 56, was arrested at his home near St. Paul, Minnesota.

Yousef Mehridehno was arrested in Gluckstadt, Mississippi. Mehridehno’s residency was terminated in 2017 after it was determined he lied on his original visa application and committed potential marriage fraud. DHS said he was listed in February as “a known or suspected terrorist.”

ICE agents in Houston arrested Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, an Iranian national who entered the United States in 2016 on an F-1 student visa. Nejad was arrested in 2017 for assaulting a family member. In 2018, the University of Texas terminated his status after he was placed on academic suspension. An immigration judge ordered him removed in 2019.

Linet Vartaniann, an American citizen, was arrested for threatening law enforcement and harboring an illegal alien and Iranian national Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand. Vartaniann threatened to go outside and “shoot ICE officers in the head,” authorities said. Both were arrested in Tempe, Arizona, and have been charged with federal crimes.

US Involvement in Iran–Israel Conflict

The latest ICE arrests occurred during growing tensions in the Middle East after Israel and Iran traded aerial attacks for more than a week.

The United States targeted and destroyed three nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend and Iran responded by launching missiles, most of which were intercepted by the United States, toward a U.S. military base in Qatar.

Israel and Iran have since agreed to a cease-fire.

DHS officials said the arrests of Iranian nationals are part of the federal government’s illegal immigration enforcement efforts.

“We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out—and we are,” McLaughlin said. “We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”

Following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem vowed to “go after” Iranian terrorist cells in the United States.

From NTD News