Following the US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, it was announced that nearly a dozen Iranian nationals have been detained by US immigration authorities.
In a significant operation over the weekend, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals across nine cities, including individuals with alleged ties to terrorist organizations and criminal backgrounds. This action underscores heightened national security concerns following recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Among those detained was Mehran Makari Saheli, a 56-year-old Iranian national arrested in St. Paul, Minnesota. Saheli is a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has admitted connections to Hezbollah. He was previously convicted of firearm possession and had been ordered removed from the U.S. in 2022, but remained unlawfully present.
Another notable arrest occurred in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, where Yousef Mehridehno, listed on the U.S. terrorist watchlist, was apprehended. Authorities discovered that Mehridehno had lied on his visa application and potentially committed marriage fraud.
In northern Alabama, Ribvar Karmi, a former Iranian army sniper, was arrested. Karmi had overstayed his K-1 visa and was found carrying an Iranian military ID. He had served as a sniper between 2018 and 2021.
The operation also led to the arrest of five individuals with prior criminal convictions, including offenses such as grand larceny, drug possession, and firearm offenses. These arrests took place in various locations, including Colorado Springs, Tempe, and Jackson.
Additionally, ICE detained Linet Vartaniann, a U.S. citizen in Arizona, for threatening law enforcement officers during an operation to apprehend Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, who had a final order of removal and was charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm.
These arrests come amid heightened concerns over potential Iranian retaliation following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The Department of Homeland Security has issued warnings about the possibility of sleeper cells and domestic threats. While no specific plots have been identified, authorities are maintaining increased vigilance.
