Breaking: ICE Arrests 11 Iranian Nationals with Suspected Terrorist Ties

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals found to be living in the country illegally, including individuals with suspected terrorist ties and significant criminal histories.

These individuals were apprehended from eight states, including Minnesota, Mississippi, Alabama, California, New York, Colorado, and Texas.

According to DHS, the detainees include a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a convicted Iranian Army sniper, and at least one individual with confirmed Hezbollah affiliations.

One high-profile arrest occurred in St. Paul, Minnesota, where ICE took into custody Mehran Makari Saheli, a 56‑year‑old ex-IRGC member linked to Hezbollah and with a prior firearms conviction.

In northern Alabama, agents arrested Ribvar Karimi, identified as a former Iranian Army sniper who entered on a K‑1 fiancé visa last October.

Five of those detained carry records of serious offenses—including drug possession, grand larceny, firearms charges—underscoring ongoing concerns about repeat offenders overstaying visas or exploiting parole pathways.

Notably, Yousef Mehridehno, living illegally for nearly eight years and placed on the terrorist watchlist in February, was apprehended near Jackson, Mississippi.

Homeland Security published a report on the arrests on Tuesday morning:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally in the United States over the weekend. ICE also arrested a U.S. citizen who threatened to kill ICE law enforcement while harboring an illegal alien from Iran. The weekend arrests reflect the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities.

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

• On June 22, ICE Atlanta arrested Ribvar Karimi in Locust, Alabama. Karimi reportedly served as an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021 and at the time of his arrest, in his possession, he had an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card. He entered the U.S. on a K-1 visa, which is reserved for aliens engaged to be married to American citizens, in October 2024 under the Biden administration. Karimi never adjusted his status — a legal requirement — and is removable from the United States. He’s currently in ICE custody, where he’ll remain pending removal proceedings.

• On June 22, ICE Houston officials arrested Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, an alien with a final order of removal, who was carrying a loaded 9mm pistol at the time of his arrest. Sepehrian entered the U.S. in Houston on Dec. 9, 2016, on an F-1 student visa. On Aug. 19, 2017, Harris County police arrested him for assaulting a family member by impeding breathing; his wife told the local assistant district attorney that Sepehrian was threatening her and obtained a restraining order against him. She also alleged he was threatening her family in Iran. On July 23, 2018, the University of Texas terminated Sepehrian’s status after he was placed on academic suspension. An immigration judge ordered him removed on Oct. 10, 2019, after he was released on an immigration bond; he filed a motion to reopen his case, which a Department of Justice immigration judge denied. Sepehrian is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

• Also in Houston, ICE arrested Hamid Reza Bayat, an Iranian national an immigration judge ordered removed nearly 20 years ago, on Aug. 4, 2005. Twice convicted of drug crimes and once convicted of driving on a suspended license, Bayat served time before receiving his final order of removal. He’s now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

• On June 22, in Tempe — a Phoenix, Arizona suburb — ICE agents arrested Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, an Iranian citizen with a final order of removal convicted of threatening a law enforcement officer and being an alien in possession of a firearm. Eidivand entered the U.S. in San Ysidro, California, in June 2012. In August 2013, an immigration judge granted him a voluntary departure, which allows an alien to leave the country without a formal ICE removal, but he never left. Eidivand will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

• At the same residence, officials arrested Linet Vartaniann, a United States citizen, for threatening a law enforcement officer and harboring Eidiva