Federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that 11 Iranians were arrested in a weekend crackdown that spanned the country, with charges ranging from immigration violations to links with terrorism and violent crime.
Iranians arrested by ICE
The arrests were announced in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release Tuesday, which also reported the apprehension of a U.S. citizen who threatened ICE officers while shielding one of the suspects.
“Under [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] 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.
“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,” McLaughlin added.
The coordinated arrests took place across Gluckstadt, Mississippi; Locust Fork, Alabama; Tempe, Arizona; San Francisco and San Diego, California; Houston, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Buffalo, New York; and St. Paul, Minnesota.
🚨Over the weekend, ICE arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally in the United States.
Under @Sec_Noem, DHS has identified and arrested known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or… pic.twitter.com/RTDkPbPIT8
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 24, 2025
Suspected terrorist among eleven Iranians arrested
One of the most notable arrests occurred in Mississippi, where ICE took 51-year-old Yousef Mehridehno into custody.
Once a lawful permanent resident, Mehridehno had his residency terminated in 2017 for allegedly lying on his visa application and committing potential marriage fraud.
More recently, in February, he was labeled a known or suspected terrorist. He is currently in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings.
In Alabama, 36-year-old Ribvar Karimi was picked up by ICE Atlanta. Karimi, a former Iranian Army sniper between 2018 and 2021, entered the U.S. on a K-1 visa for foreign fiancés in 2024 but failed to adjust his immigration status.
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… pic.twitter.com/lIfD7a48xo
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 24, 2025
At the time of his arrest, officials found him carrying his Islamic Republic of Iran Army ID card. Karimi remains in custody pending deportation.
ICE agents also arrested Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand in Tempe, Arizona.
Eidivand, who had a final removal order and a record including threats against a law enforcement officer and firearms violations, had entered the U.S. through San Ysidro, California, back in 2012.
Although granted voluntary departure by an immigration judge in 2013, he never left. He remains in ICE custody.
American amongst Iranians arrested
Eidivand was found at a home in Tempe where Linet Vartaniann, a U.S. citizen, was also arrested.
On June 22, in Tempe, AZ, 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… pic.twitter.com/354E3wJH9C
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 24, 2025
Vartaniann allegedly threatened ICE agents, claiming she would open fire if they entered her home and later saying she would “shoot ICE officers in the head.” Both if them now face federal charges.
In California, 62-year-old Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani was apprehended in San Francisco.
His record includes a 1994 conviction for petty theft and a 1995 drug conviction for which he served 10 years. He is now in custody, pending immigration proceedings.
San Diego officials arrested Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, another Iranian national, who had been convicted of forging an official seal.
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… pic.twitter.com/HpTVn4PeRt
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 24, 2025
Houston-based ICE agents captured Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, who was carrying a loaded weapon at the time of his arrest.
He originally entered the country on a student visa in 2016 but was arrested a year later for allegedly assaulting his wife by impeding her breathing.
After an immigration judge ordered his removal in 2019, Nejad continued to reside in the U.S. illegally.
Also in Houston, ICE detained Hamid Reza Bayat, previously convicted of drug offenses and driving with a suspended license. Bayat had been ordered removed nearly 20 years ago.
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… pic.twitter.com/KqTrNM7Dus
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 24, 2025
Colorado Springs saw the arrest of two men, Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour, who were living together illegally.
Shafiei had a previous drug conviction and had also been arrested for child abuse and assault. His removal order dates back to 1987.
In Buffalo, ICE agents arrested 65-year-old Mohammad Rafikian. His criminal background includes convictions for grand larceny, criminal impersonation, fraudulent schemes, and unlawfully practicing law.
Finally, in St. Paul, Minnesota, agents took 56-year-old Mehran Makari Saheli into custody. Saheli, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a man with reported Hezbollah ties, was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Minneapolis.
Though a judge ordered his removal in June 2022, he remained in the country illegally. Saheli is now being held by ICE.
DHS fears sleeper cells
DHS said the arrests come amid heightened national security concerns, as tensions in the Middle East escalate and the U.S. reinforces immigration enforcement.
A memo from Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott warned agents to remain alert.
“Though we have not received any specific credible threats to share with you all currently, the threat of sleeper cells or sympathizers acting on their own, or at the behest of Iran has never been higher,” Scott said.
The memo noted that thousands of Iranian nationals had already entered the U.S. illegally and that countless others may have evaded detection.
The arrests were made as the Trump administration continues to implement aggressive deportation efforts.
On Monday, the Supreme Court removed judicial barriers, allowing for quicker deportations to countries where illegal immigrants have no familial or legal ties.
