By Kayhan Life Staff
On June 24, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the arrest of 11 Iranian nationals at multiple locations across the United States. Among those taken into custody were reportedly a former Iranian military sniper and a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested a former IRGC member with suspected ties to Hezbollah, an ex-Iranian army sniper, and a terror watchlist suspect during a sweep of Iranian illegal migrants in the U.S. over the weekend — as authorities raised warnings about possible ‘sleeper cells,’” the New York Post reported on June 24.
“In all, 11 Iranian illegal migrants, many of them with criminal records, were taken into custody, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday,” the report added. “ICE nabbed former IRGC Mehran Makari Sahel, who has ‘admitted connections’ to the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, according to CBS News.”
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These individuals allegedly have criminal records, links to terrorism, or outstanding deportation orders. Among them, reportedly, is a U.S. citizen who was arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot federal agents and for harboring an undocumented Iranian national.
One detainee, Ribvar Karimi, is alleged to have served as a sniper in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military from 2018 to 2021. He was arrested in Alabama for immigration violations.
According to U.S. immigration authorities, Karimi failed to amend his status after entering the country on a K-1 visa and will remain in custody while his deportation case is processed.
Another individual, Mehran Makari Saheli, a 56-year-old Iranian national and former member of the IRGC, was arrested on June 22 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reports that Saheli admitted ties to Hezbollah and had a prior conviction for firearm possession. A deportation order was issued for him in 2022, but he had continued to live in the U.S. unlawfully.
Additional arrests of Iranian nationals occurred in several states, including Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Mississippi, and New York.
In Houston, authorities arrested Behzad Sepehrian Baharinejad, who was found carrying a loaded 9mm handgun and had a previous domestic violence arrest.
Another Houston arrest involved Hamidreza Bayat, who has had a deportation order since 2005 and multiple drug-related convictions.
In Mississippi, Yousef Mehri-Dehno — previously a lawful permanent resident — was detained earlier this year after being listed as a terrorism suspect or associate. Authorities reportedly revoked his residency permit in 2017 because of fraudulent information on his visa application and a sham marriage.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that several of those arrested had lived in the U.S. for years despite active deportation orders. Some also had criminal histories, including charges related to drug trafficking, firearms violations, and fraud.
All detainees are currently in the custody of ICE as their deportation proceedings are under way.
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