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.
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 Eidivand, an illegal alien. Vartaniann threatened to open fire on ICE officials if they entered her home, then said she would go outside and “shoot ICE officers in the head.” ICE officials obtained a search warrant for the residence and arrested the pair, who are now charged with federal crimes.
On June 22, in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, ICE officers and agents arrested Yousef Mehridehno, an Iranian national and former lawful permanent resident. The U.S. government terminated Mehridehno’s residency in October 2017 after determining he lied on his original visa application and committed potential marriage fraud. In February, Mehridehno was listed as a known or suspected terrorist, and he’s now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
On June 22, in Colorado Springs, ICE officials arrested Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour — two illegally present Iranian nationals living together. Immigration officials first encountered Shafiei in Seattle, Washington, in January 1981; a judge ordered him removed in January 1987. His criminal history includes state and federal convictions for drug crimes and arrests for assault and child abuse. U.S. Border Patrol encountered Mehdipour in June 2023 during the Biden administration near Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and processed him as an expedited removal. Both men are in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
On June 22, in St. Paul, Minnesota, ICE arrested Mehran Makari Saheli, a 56-year-old Iranian national. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Minneapolis, where he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. He is a former member of off the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with admitted connections to Hezbollah. An immigration judge ordered him removed June 28, 2022, under the Biden administration, but he illegally remained in the U.S. Saheli is now in ICE custody pending removal.
On June 22, ICE San Francisco arrested Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, a 62-year-old Iranian national, with a criminal history that includes a 1994 conviction for petty theft and a 1995 conviction of possession of a controlled substance for sale. Asfestani was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for the drug conviction and is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
On June 23, ICE Buffalo arrested Mohammad Rafikian, a 65-year-old Iranian national convicted of grand larceny, schemes to defraud, criminal impersonation and practicing as an attorney.
On the same date, ICE San Diego arrested Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, a 57-year-old Iranian national convicted of forging an official seal. Both are in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
You can report crimes and suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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Shocking number of Iranians who entered the U.S. under Biden is revealed after ‘sleeper cell’ terror threat
As tensions escalate between the US and Iran after the bombing of three nuclear sites in the Middle East country, it’s been revealed that a staggering amount of Iranians snuck into the US recently.
As tensions escalate between the US and Iran after the bombing of three nuclear sites in the Middle East country, it’s been revealed that a staggering amount of Iranians snuck into the US during the Biden years.
More than 1,500 citizens of Islamic republic were stopped by US immigration officials as they attempted to cross illegally from 2021 to 2024, reported The Center Square.
Of the 1,504 who were apprehended by immigration officials, 729 were allowed to stay in America by the Democrat administration.
Natives of Iran are considered ‘special interest aliens‘ by the US government due to the possibility of being a national security threat and are supposed to receive enhanced vetting compared to migrants from other nations.
Major US cities are on high alert, after security officials warned there could be attacks on banking systems, energy grids and cyber attacks.
Data obtained by the conservative-leaning outlet shows an upward trend of allowing the Middle Easterners in, with 48 stopped at the border in 2021, 197 detained in 2022 462 in 2023 and 797 the last year Biden was in office.
The numbers include Iranians who entered the country through the southern and northern borders and were encountered by the US Border Patrol.
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Fears over Iran’s missing 400kg of uranium
Satellite images show line of trucks at Fordow before strikes, with analysts suggesting materials were frantically moved
Three of Tehran’s most critical enrichment facilities, including its underground facility at Fordow, were pummelled by B-2 stealth bombers and a barrage of submarine-launched missiles early on Sunday morning.
But officials believe that most of the material at Fordow and Iran’s other facilities had been moved elsewhere before the strikes.
Iran has vowed to continue enriching uranium in defiance of Donald Trump, raising further concerns over its nuclear programme.
Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, rejected claims that Tehran would abandon its nuclear programme, telling the Germany broadcaster ARD: “No one can tell us what we should and should not do.”
Following the mission, codenamed Midnight Hammer, the US president claimed to have “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear aspirations in the wave of strikes. He said the US had taken the bomb “right out of Iran’s hands” by inflicting “monumental damage” on the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan facilities.
Fordow after US strikes
Support building appears to be intact, Bunker-busting bomb entry points, Tunnel entrances blocked with dirt
However, doubt has been cast on Mr Trump’s claims after senior US officials admitted they did not know the fate of Iran’s near-bomb-grade uranium stockpile.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Monday that extensive damage was expected to have occurred at the Fordow, but added that his agency was seeking access to “account for” Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles.
Two Israeli officials with knowledge of the intelligence told The New York Times that Iran had transferred equipment and uranium outside Fordow in recent days.
There was also evidence to suggest Iran had moved its 400kg stockpile of 60 per cent enriched uranium, which had been stored inside Isfahan, to a secret location.
JD Vance, the US vice president, hinted that the material had been moved at the 11th hour on Sunday. “We’re going to work in the coming weeks to ensure that we do something with that fuel,” he told ABC News.
Mr Grossi said the fuel had last been seen by UN inspectors a week before Israel began its attacks on Iran on June 13.
According to satellite imagery, trucks, bulldozers and security convoys appeared to swarm the Fordow facility two days before the US strikes. Analysts at TS2 Space, a Polish defence firm, suggested it revealed a “frantic effort” to move centrifuges or shielding materials.
Initial assessments suggest the fortified site at Fordow had sustained serious damage from the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (Mop) bombs, but had not been completely destroyed. Satellite images suggested that the bombs had a severe impact.
The already-damaged facility at Isfahan was hit by dozens of missiles, but it contained little or no enriched uranium when it was hit, the IAEA said.
Other images showed that Natanz, Iran’s largest enrichment site, had already been damaged by extensive Israeli strikes, which disrupted the electrical system. Mr Grossi later said he believed the loss of power at Natanz could have sent the centrifuges spinning out of control, likely to have destroyed all of them.
Erin Burnett five days ago: Iran is years away from a nuclear weapon. Trump is risking starting a world war for no reason.Erin Burnett today: Iran’s nuclear program has only been set back a few months. This is a big deal.This is CNN. pic.twitter.com/qHSRB31LyL
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