ICE Arrests 16 Iranians in 48 Hours, Including 3 With Suspected Terrorist Ties
DHS has activated its National Terrorism Advisory System following the U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities
Matthew Xiao
Immigration authorities have arrested 16 Iranian nationals, including a former member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with ties to Hezbollah, a former Iranian Army sniper, and a third individual on the terrorist watchlist, in a multi-state operation since Sunday.
One of the arrested men, Mehran Makari Sahel, is a former IRGC operative and has "admitted connections to Hezbollah," according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials quoted in a a CBS News report Tuesday morning. Both the IRGC, an elite branch of Iran's armed forces, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese group backed by Iran, are U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations.
Ribvar Karmi, who was arrested Sunday in Alabama, was carrying an identification card from the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, according to federal agents. Karmi reportedly served as a sniper in the Iranian Army from 2018 to 2021 and entered the United States in October 2024 on a K-1 visa, which is issued to foreign nationals engaged to American citizens.
https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/ice-arrests-11-iranians-in-48-hours-including-3-with-suspected-terrorist-ties/