U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals across the country over the weekend as part of a coordinated enforcement effort targeting individuals in the U.S. illegally, some with serious criminal backgrounds and suspected ties to terrorism.
ICE also arrested a U.S. citizen in Arizona who allegedly threatened to kill federal agents while harboring an undocumented Iranian national.
According to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), those arrested include a former Iranian military sniper, a suspected Hezbollah associate, and a man previously listed as a known or suspected terrorist.
“These arrests demonstrate our agency’s commitment to identifying and removing individuals who pose a threat to national security,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We are not waiting for threats to escalate into violence. We are proactively enforcing immigration laws and executing on President Trump’s directive to secure the homeland.”
Key Arrests Include:
- Ribvar Karimi, arrested in Locust, Alabama, is a former Iranian Army sniper who entered the U.S. in 2024 on a K-1 visa and failed to adjust his immigration status. Authorities recovered an Iranian military ID during his arrest.
- Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, arrested in Houston, Texas, was found carrying a loaded firearm and had previously been ordered deported after a conviction for domestic assault and threats against his family.
- Hamid Reza Bayat, also arrested in Houston, had a removal order dating back to 2005 and a record that includes multiple drug convictions.
- Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, taken into custody in Tempe, Arizona, had a final deportation order and prior convictions, including threats against law enforcement and firearm possession by an alien. A U.S. citizen, Linet Vartaniann, was also arrested at the scene for threatening to shoot ICE agents and harboring Eidivand.
- Yousef Mehridehno, arrested in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, had previously lost permanent resident status due to suspected marriage fraud and was later flagged as a known or suspected terrorist.
- Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour, arrested in Colorado Springs, Colorado, were living together while both subject to prior removal orders. Shafiei had a criminal record involving drugs and assault, while Mehdipour was previously apprehended at the southern border.
- Mehran Makari Saheli, arrested in Minnesota, had a felony weapons conviction and was identified as a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) member with ties to Hezbollah.
- Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, arrested in San Francisco, had past convictions for theft and drug trafficking and served 10 years in state prison.
- Mohammad Rafikian, arrested in Buffalo, New York, had multiple fraud-related convictions and impersonated an attorney.
- Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, arrested in San Diego, was previously convicted of forging an official seal.
All individuals are currently in ICE custody and are undergoing removal proceedings.
ICE officials say the operation highlights continued efforts to target individuals who pose security risks or who have committed crimes while in the United States unlawfully.
