ICE arrests suspected former Iranian Army sniper living illegally in US after Trump’s strikes

WASHINGTON, DC: In the wake of US military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, federal authorities have arrested 11 Iranian nationals living unlawfully in the country, including a suspected former sniper from the Iranian Army.

The coordinated arrests were carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of a national operation to detain individuals with alleged terrorist ties or serious criminal backgrounds, as per a report by The Daily Caller.

The arrests follow a Pentagon-led military campaign, dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer," which targeted three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities on Saturday, June 21.

ICE arrests suspected former Iranian Army Sniper who was living in the US illegally

Among those apprehended was Ribvar Karimi, an alleged former Iranian Army sniper who reportedly served for four years and was found carrying an official Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card at the time of his arrest in Locust, Alabama, on Sunday.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Karimi entered the US in October 2024 on a K-1 visa — a visa typically reserved for foreign nationals engaged to American citizens. However, he allegedly failed to adjust his immigration status as required, rendering him subject to removal.

Karimi remains in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings.

“Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS. 

She added, “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.”

The military strikes that preceded the arrests were described by officials as a proactive effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran responded Monday by launching missiles at a US airbase in Qatar, only after warning the US in advance.

A ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced by President Donald Trump on Monday, bringing a temporary halt to escalating hostilities. 

ICE targets Iranian nationals with criminal records and terror ties

Other individuals arrested in the weekend ICE sweep were also linked to terrorist organizations or had significant criminal convictions.

In St Paul, Minnesota, agents apprehended Mehran Makari Saheli, 56, a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a felon with prior firearm convictions. DHS officials say Saheli admitted to having ties to Hezbollah, a US-designated terrorist organization, and had been defying a removal order issued in June 2022.

“The arrest of an Iranian national with admitted ties to Hezbollah in my home state of Minnesota underscores the urgency of passing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which helps ICE officials get these dangerous illegal aliens off our streets,” said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. 

“We don’t have a moment to waste — the safety of our communities depends on it,” Emmer added.

In Gluckstadt, Mississippi, ICE agents arrested Yousef Mehridehno, a former permanent resident whose status was revoked in 2017 after he allegedly lied on his visa application. DHS listed him in February as a known or suspected terrorist.

Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, another Iranian national, was taken into custody after reportedly failing to comply with a voluntary departure order. He had previous convictions for firearm possession and threatening law enforcement officers. During the arrest, Linet Vartaniann, a US citizen, was also detained for allegedly harboring Eidivand and threatening federal officers.

DHS said she told officers she would go outside and “shoot ICE officers in the head.”

The roundup also included Iranian nationals convicted of drug crimes, assault, child abuse, grand larceny, and individuals who had been under deportation orders for years.

Tensions with Tehran fuel Homeland Security warnings

In response to "Operation Midnight Hammer," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US, warning of serious consequences.

“The war-mongering and lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,” Araghchi said during a press conference in Istanbul. “Our government reserves all options to defend its security interests and people.”

Though the ceasefire is holding for now, DHS has issued a warning of a “heightened threat environment” across the US. Federal agencies have not cited specific threats but anticipate a wave of low-level cyberattacks from pro-Iranian hacktivist groups.

Tensions were further inflamed following Trump’s reelection in November 2024, after which federal prosecutors indicted three individuals in a Tehran-linked assassination plot targeting Trump and other perceived enemies of the Iranian regime.

US intelligence agencies believe the plot was retaliation for Trump’s 2020 authorization of the killing of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani.