U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently conducted a multi-state enforcement operation that led to the arrests of eleven Iranian nationals who were unlawfully residing in the United States. The crackdown comes amid growing fears about potential attacks by Iranian terror cells on American soil.
According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official speaking with National Review, the two-day sweep also included the apprehension of one U.S. citizen accused of harboring an Iranian national living in the country illegally.
“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.
“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.”
National Review’s report lays out the nationals arrested:
Among those detained was Ribvar Karimi, a former sniper in the Iranian army, who was taken into custody in Alabama on June 22. Karimi, who held an Iranian military ID at the time of arrest, entered the U.S. in October 2024 on a K-1 fiancé visa but failed to adjust his status and remains in ICE detention.
In Houston, ICE agents arrested Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, an undocumented immigrant found carrying a loaded firearm. Nejad had a prior arrest from 2017 for assaulting a family member and was under a final order of removal. Also arrested in Houston was Hamid Reza Bayat, who had been ordered removed from the U.S. two decades ago and had prior drug convictions and a charge for driving with a suspended license.
In another case, ICE detained Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand in Tempe, Arizona. Eidivand had been convicted of threatening a law enforcement officer and unlawful firearm possession while being in the country illegally. Linet Vartaniann, a U.S. citizen accused of threatening law enforcement and harboring Eidivand, was also arrested. Federal charges are pending for both after ICE obtained a search warrant.
Two additional Iranian nationals were taken into custody in Colorado Springs: Mahmoud Shafiei, who had a prior removal order and criminal history including drug offenses, assault, and child abuse; and Mehrdad Mehdipour, who had been processed for expedited removal after a 2023 border encounter. Both remain in ICE custody.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, agents arrested Mehran Makari Saheli, a former member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Saheli had previously been convicted as a felon in possession of a firearm and was still in the country despite a 2022 removal order.
Several other Iranian nationals were also detained in various locations, many with prior criminal convictions. All are currently held by federal authorities.
The uptick in enforcement follows heightened national security concerns related to escalating hostilities between Iran and the United States. Tensions have spiked during the ongoing 12-day conflict between Israel and Tehran.