JUST IN: ICE Captures ‘Iranian Army Sniper’ Living Illegally In USU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended 11 Iranian nationals over the weekend, one of whom was a sniper in an elite unit of his nation’s military.
The arrest of Ribvar Karimi, who spent four years in the Iranian Army before obtaining a visa to enter the U.S., follows Iran’s declaration of “retaliation” for the bombings conducted by Israel and the U.S. on three of its nuclear enrichment sites.
Despite President Donald Trump having brokered a ceasefire between the two nations, U.S. antiterrorism officials remain on “high alert” regarding the potential for a sleeper cell Iranian operative to carry out a domestic terrorist act.
According to ICE officials, Karimi was allegedly in possession of a card that identified him as a member of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army at the time of his arrest.
“Under Secretary Noem, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been fully engaged in identifying and apprehending known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists who have unlawfully entered this country, whether through Biden’s purported parole programs or other means,” stated DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We have consistently asserted that we are removing the most dangerous individuals—and we are. We do not wait for a military operation to take action; we are actively fulfilling President Trump’s directive to secure the homeland.”
As reported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Karimi was arrested in Locust, Alabama while residing on a K-1 visa, which is issued to foreigners who plan to marry a U.S. citizen. It remains uncertain who applied to be Karimi’s prospective spouse.
He entered the U.S. during the Biden administration and failed to adjust his status—a legal obligation—thereby violating the conditions of his visa and rendering him subject to deportation, according to DHS.
A wider operation conducted by ICE resulted in the apprehension of another person listed on a federal watchlist, while focusing on eight states and nine sanctuary cities.
Mehran Makari Sahel, hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, was taken into custody on June 22. He is a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has acknowledged his connections with Hezbollah.
While authorities have not established any links between the Iranians and ongoing terrorism plots, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has urged both state and local officials to maintain heightened vigilance as the Trump administration works to capture individuals deemed suspicious, particularly those associated with Iran.
Just one day prior to the eleven arrests, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) revealed that Florida officials had intercepted a “boatload” of Iranian nationals attempting to reach the shores of her state.
In her statement, the Florida Republican emphasized that the risk of “sleeper cell” attacks orchestrated by Iranian agents is very real.
“Am I worried about sleeper cells? Absolutely. This is NOT a conspiracy theory; it represents a significant national security concern,” she conveyed to Florida’s Voice News.
Concerns regarding a radical Islamist terrorist presence in the U.S. were confirmed at the beginning of the year when a disturbed Muslim individual drove his truck into crowds celebrating along Bourbon Street in New Orleans, resulting in the deaths of 14 people, including a friend of the British Royal Family. Investigators discovered disturbing recordings of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, extolling ISIS and urging fellow Muslims to carry out lone wolf attacks within the U.S.
