ICE arrests Iranian national illegally in U.S. in Gluckstadt, Mississippi

• Mehridehno’s arrest was announced among 10 other arrests of Iranian nationals Homeland Security made public on Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and agents arrested Yousef Mehridehno, an Iranian national and former lawful permanent resident, in Gluckstadt on Sunday.

Mehridehno’s arrest was announced among 10 other Iranian nationals Homeland Security said were illegally in the United States and arrested over the weekend.

According to Homeland Security, the U.S. government terminated Mehridehno’s residency in October 2017 after determining he lied on his original visa application and committed potential marriage fraud. 

In February, Mehridehno was listed as a known or suspected terrorist, and he is now in ICE custody pending removal 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 DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement released Tuesday. “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.” 

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin on Sunday regarding a heightened threat environment across the United States due to the direct involvement of the U.S. in the conflict between the nations of Israel and Iran.

There are currently no specific credible threats against the homeland, the agency said.

“It is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict,” said Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday. “The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict brings the possibility of increased threat to the homeland in the form of possible cyberattacks, acts of violence, and antisemitic hate crimes.”

President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the two Middle East nations on Monday. However, the conflicted continue beyond the terms of the deal, with Trump expressing frustration on Tuesday morning prior to heading to a NATO meeting. Trump called out both Israel and Iran for their actions and insisted on them both upholding their end of the agreement.

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran,” Trump shared on Truth Social early Tuesday. “All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!”

Other Iranian nationals arrested include:

• Ribvar Karimi in Locust, Alabama. Karimi reportedly served as an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021 and at the time of his arrest, in his possession, he had an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card.

• Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, an alien with a final order of removal, who was carrying a loaded 9mm pistol at the time of his arrest

• Hamid Reza Bayat, an Iranian national an immigration judge ordered removed nearly 20 years ago, on Aug. 4, 2005.

• Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, an Iranian citizen with a final order of removal convicted of threatening a law enforcement officer and being an alien in possession of a firearm.

• Mahmoud Shafiei, an Iranian national a judge ordered removed in January 1987, with state and federal convictions for drug crimes and arrests for assault and child abuse.

• Mehrdad Mehdipour, an Iranian national, that was processed as an expedited removal in 2023.

• Mehran Makari Saheli, a 56-year-old Iranian national. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Minneapolis, where he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. 

• Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, a 62-year-old Iranian national, with a criminal history that includes a 1994 conviction for petty theft and a 1995 conviction of possession of a controlled substance for sale.

• Mohammad Rafikian, a 65-year-old Iranian national convicted of grand larceny, schemes to defraud, criminal impersonation and practicing as an attorney.  

• Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, a 57-year-old Iranian national convicted of forging an official seal. 

Also listed among ICE arrests was Linet Vartaniann, a United States citizen, for threatening a law enforcement officer and harboring Eidivand, an illegal alien.