WASHINGTON (BN24) — Federal immigration agents have arrested 11 Iranian nationals in a nationwide sweep targeting illegal migrants, including a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) member with alleged ties to Hezbollah, a suspected terrorist listed on a federal watchlist, and an ex-Iranian military sniper, officials said Tuesday.
The weekend operation, carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was part of a broader national security initiative as federal authorities warned of potential Iranian “sleeper cells” following heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
Among those taken into custody was 56-year-old Mehran Makari Sahel, a convicted felon who, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “admitted connections” to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant organization designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. government. Sahel, a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota, previously served 15 months in federal prison for illegal firearm possession and was ordered deported in 2022 but failed to comply.
Another suspect, Yousef Mehridehno, was apprehended in Mississippi. Authorities said he had been living in the country illegally for eight years and was found to have lied on a visa application. His name appears on a federal terrorist watchlist, and investigators are probing him for potential marriage fraud.
In Alabama, ICE agents arrested Ribvar Karmi, who was carrying identification showing he served as a sniper in the Iranian army from 2018 to 2021. Karmi entered the U.S. in late 2024 on a K-1 visa — a special visa issued to foreign nationals engaged to American citizens — but failed to adjust his status legally as required, making him unlawfully present in the country.
Five of the 11 individuals arrested have prior criminal convictions, including grand larceny, drug offenses, and illegal possession of firearms, ICE said.
In a statement posted Tuesday to X (formerly Twitter), DHS said the operation reflects the Trump administration’s proactive enforcement strategy. “We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out — and we are,” the department stated. “We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”
Border officials were issued internal warnings following U.S. airstrikes Saturday on Iranian nuclear facilities to be alert for the presence of potential terrorist operatives. A memo circulated by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott, obtained by The Post, urged agents to maintain heightened vigilance due to increased threat levels from Iranian nationals.
“Iran’s hatred for the United States and their desire to harm America and Americans is well documented,” Scott wrote in the June 22 internal advisory. “Though we have not received any specific credible threats… the threat of sleeper cells or sympathizers acting on their own, or at the behest of Iran, has never been higher.”
Scott called on CBP personnel to remain “hyper vigilant” and maintain situational awareness both during and outside of duty hours.
While Iranian migrants are classified as “special interest aliens” subject to enhanced vetting procedures due to potential ties to terrorism, border records reviewed by Fox News indicate that over 700 Iranian nationals were released into the U.S. during the Biden administration.
The arrests come as immigration enforcement agencies face mounting pressure to address national security concerns tied to unlawful border crossings amid global geopolitical instability.
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