An alleged Iranian military sniper and a former member of the Revolutionary Guards were among 11 Iranian nationals arrested across the United States over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday.
The arrests targeted individuals with criminal records, suspected terrorism ties, and past deportation orders, Homeland Security said. One US citizen was also taken into custody after allegedly threatening to shoot federal officers while shielding an illegal Iranian national.
In Alabama, agents arrested Ribvar Karimi, a former sniper for the Iranian army from 2018 to 2021. Karimi was found with an Iranian military ID card and had entered the country in October 2024 on a K-1 fiancé visa under the Biden administration, Homeland Security said. He never adjusted his immigration status and is now in federal custody pending removal.
Mehran Makari Saheli, a 56-year-old Iranian citizen and ex-member of the IRGC, was arrested on June 22 in St. Paul, Minnesota, the department said. Saheli, who also admitted ties to Hezbollah, had previously been convicted as a felon in possession of a firearm. He was ordered removed in 2022 but remained in the US illegally, officials said.
Other arrests included individuals in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Mississippi, and New York. Among them was Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, detained in Houston while carrying a loaded 9mm pistol and previously arrested for domestic violence. Hamid Reza Bayat, also arrested in Houston, had been ordered removed in 2005 and has multiple drug convictions.
In Mississippi, Yousef Mehridehno—once a lawful permanent resident—was taken into custody after being listed as a known or suspected terrorist earlier this year, DHS said. His residency had been revoked in 2017 for lying on his visa application and suspected marriage fraud.
Several of those arrested had been living in the US for years despite removal orders, some with criminal records that included drug trafficking, firearms violations, and fraud. All are now in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings, Homeland Security said.
