
(DailyVantage.com) – ICE’s 48-hour sweep nets 11 Iranians with terror ties and criminal histories, including a former IRGC member connected to Hezbollah who had been ordered deported years ago but remained in the U.S. illegally.
Key Takeaways
- ICE arrested 11 Iranian nationals across eight states, including individuals with direct ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah.
- Five of the arrested individuals had prior criminal convictions ranging from grand larceny to illegal weapons possession.
- One detainee, Yousef Mehridehno, had been living illegally in the U.S. for nearly eight years despite being on the terrorist watchlist.
- Another arrestee, Ribvar Karimi, was identified as a former Iranian Army sniper who entered the U.S. on a fiancé visa.
- The arrests occurred amid heightened tensions following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Dangerous Individuals Hiding in Plain Sight
In a sweeping operation that exposes serious national security vulnerabilities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 11 Iranian nationals with criminal records and terror ties during a 48-hour operation spanning June 22-24, 2025. The operation targeted individuals across eight states and nine cities, revealing an alarming pattern of dangerous foreign nationals evading deportation orders and remaining in the United States illegally for years. This enforcement action comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran following American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Among those arrested was Mehran Makari Saheli in St. Paul, Minnesota, a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with admitted connections to Hezbollah. Despite being ordered removed from the United States in 2022, Saheli had managed to remain in the country illegally for years. His criminal record includes convictions for fraudulent immigration documents and illegal firearm possession, raising serious questions about how such a high-risk individual could avoid deportation for so long.
Terrorist Watchlist Failures
Perhaps most disturbing among the arrests was Yousef Mehridehno, apprehended in Mississippi after living illegally in the United States for nearly eight years. Mehridehno had been added to the U.S. terrorist watchlist in February 2025, yet somehow remained undetected until this operation. Authorities charged him with visa fraud, as investigations revealed he had lied on his original visa application. This case highlights the glaring gaps in our immigration enforcement system that allow individuals with terrorist ties to remain undetected for years.
Another alarming case involved Ribvar Karimi, arrested in Alabama and identified as a former Iranian Army sniper who served from 2018 to 2021. Karimi had entered the United States on a K-1 fiancé visa, and was found in possession of his Iranian military identification at the time of his arrest. This pattern of military-trained individuals from hostile nations entering the country through legitimate visa programs demonstrates how easily our immigration system can be exploited.
ICE Arrests 11 Iranian Nationals with Suspected Terrorist Ties
Criminal Histories and National Security Threats
Five of the eleven detainees had prior criminal convictions in the United States, including serious offenses such as grand larceny, drug possession, and firearm violations. These individuals represent just a fraction of the problem – ICE reported that in the previous fiscal year, they arrested 68 Iranian nationals, 47 of whom had criminal convictions. The fact that foreign nationals with criminal records and ties to hostile regimes can remain in the country for years highlights the consequences of lax immigration enforcement policies.
“These individuals represent a threat to public safety due to their criminal records and potential extremist ties,” said a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. “While we have no evidence linking them to specific terror plots at this time, their backgrounds and affiliations warrant serious concern.”
The timing of these arrests, coming immediately after U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, raises questions about whether these individuals could have been activated as sleeper agents in the event of further escalation. While officials have stated there are no credible, imminent threats to the homeland, the presence of military-trained individuals with ties to the IRGC and Hezbollah living illegally in the United States represents a significant security vulnerability.
Policy Failures and Future Concerns
These arrests expose the dangerous consequences of policies that have hampered immigration enforcement and border security. With millions of unvetted migrants entering the country in recent years, the ability of law enforcement to track and remove individuals who pose security threats has been severely compromised. The fact that someone like Mehran Makari Saheli could remain in the country for years after receiving a deportation order demonstrates a system in crisis.
The Biden administration has faced mounting criticism for prioritizing policies that limit deportations and reduce detention capacity, even as threats from foreign adversaries increase. These arrests highlight the real-world consequences of such policies – allowing individuals with direct ties to designated terrorist organizations and hostile military forces to establish themselves in American communities.
As tensions with Iran continue to escalate following the recent airstrikes, the presence of Iranian nationals with military training and terrorist connections within U.S. borders represents an ongoing security concern that demands immediate attention and policy changes to prevent similar situations in the future.
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