ICE Arrests 11 Iranian Nationals With Terror Ties Across Eight Different States [WATCH]

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of 11 Iranian nationals over the weekend, including individuals with suspected ties to terrorist organizations and serious criminal histories, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

The arrests spanned eight states, including Minnesota, Mississippi, Alabama, California, New York, Colorado, Texas, and Arizona.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the individuals arrested include a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a convicted Iranian Army sniper, and at least one person affiliated with Hezbollah.

ICE nabs 11 Iranian migrants — including suspected terrorists — as Border Patrol warns of ‘possible sleeper’ cells https://t.co/8XiQuDLCbC pic.twitter.com/6CLHhXulxu

— New York Post (@nypost) June 24, 2025

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Among the arrests was Mehran Makari Saheli, 56, taken into custody in St. Paul, Minnesota. Saheli, a former IRGC member with known Hezbollah connections, was previously convicted of firearm possession and sentenced to 15 months in prison.

He had been ordered removed by an immigration judge in June 2022 but remained in the U.S. unlawfully.

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In northern Alabama, ICE arrested Ribvar Karimi, a former Iranian Army sniper who entered the U.S. on a K-1 fiancé visa in October 2024. Karimi never adjusted his immigration status and is currently in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings.

Another individual, Yousef Mehridehno, was arrested in Gluckstadt, Mississippi.

Mehridehno, a former lawful permanent resident, had his status terminated in 2017 for fraud and was added to the terrorist watchlist in February 2025. He had been living illegally in the U.S. for nearly eight years.

In Houston, ICE arrested multiple individuals, including Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, who had a loaded 9mm pistol at the time of arrest. Sepehrian had previously been convicted of domestic violence and was ordered removed in 2019.

ICE also apprehended Hamid Reza Bayat, who had received a final removal order in 2005 and had multiple drug-related convictions.

In Tempe, Arizona, Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand was arrested for threatening law enforcement and illegal firearm possession. He had been granted voluntary departure in 2013 but never left the country.

At the same location, ICE also arrested U.S. citizen Linet Vartaniann for threatening to kill ICE officers and harboring Eidivand.

Other arrests included Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour in Colorado Springs. Shafiei has a criminal history including child abuse, and Mehdipour had entered illegally in 2023 and was previously processed for expedited removal.

In California, ICE arrested Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, convicted in 1995 of drug trafficking and sentenced to 10 years in state prison.

In New York and San Diego, ICE arrested Mohammad Rafikian and Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, both with prior felony convictions, including grand larceny and forgery.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin praised ICE’s operations and emphasized the department’s proactive enforcement under President Trump.

“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.”

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— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 24, 2025

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