WASHINGTON (Chatnewstv.com) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 11 Iranian nationals over the weekend across multiple states, including individuals with alleged ties to Hezbollah, prior military experience in Iran, and long-standing criminal records, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security.
The arrests, carried out from June 22 to June 23, also included a U.S. citizen accused of threatening to kill federal agents and harboring one of the suspects.
“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.”
Among those detained was Ribvar Karimi, a former Iranian army sniper, who was arrested in Locust, Alabama. Authorities said Karimi entered the U.S. in 2024 on a K-1 fiancé visa but never adjusted his immigration status. ICE agents found an Iranian Army ID in his possession.
In Houston, ICE officials arrested Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, who had a loaded 9mm pistol at the time of his arrest and had previously been ordered removed from the U.S. Sepehrian had faced domestic violence charges in 2017 and was suspended by the University of Texas in 2018.
Also in Houston, Hamid Reza Bayat, ordered deported since 2005 and previously convicted of drug offenses, was taken into custody.
In Arizona, ICE agents apprehended Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, convicted of threatening a law enforcement officer and firearm possession. At the same Tempe address, agents arrested Linet Vartaniann, a U.S. citizen, after she allegedly threatened to shoot ICE agents and was found harboring Eidivand.
In Mississippi, officers detained Yousef Mehridehno, whose permanent residency was revoked in 2017 over visa fraud. He was recently listed as a known or suspected terrorist.
ICE also arrested Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour in Colorado Springs. Shafiei had been ordered removed in 1987 and has a criminal record including assault and child abuse. Mehdipour was processed for removal after being caught near the Rio Grande in 2023.
In Minnesota, Mehran Makari Saheli, a 56-year-old former member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard with admitted Hezbollah ties, was detained. He had been convicted of firearms violations.
Arrests continued in California, where Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, convicted of drug trafficking in the 1990s, was taken into custody in San Francisco.
On June 23, ICE Buffalo officials arrested Mohammad Rafikian, 65, for fraud and impersonating an attorney. The same day, ICE in San Diego detained Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, 57, convicted of forging an official seal.
All individuals are in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
The arrests are part of what DHS describes as a “proactive” effort to secure the homeland under President Donald Trump’s directive.
“We don’t wait until a military operation to execute,” McLaughlin said. “We proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate.”
Authorities encourage anyone with knowledge of similar cases or suspicious activity to contact ICE via their tip line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or through the agency’s online portal.
