ICE Captures ‘Iranian Army Sniper’ Living Illegally In US

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has apprehended 11 Iranian nationals, one of whom was a sharpshooter in his nation’s elite military unit.

The arrest of Ribvar Karimi, who served four years in the Iranian Army before acquiring a visa to enter the United States, follows Iran’s threats of “retaliation” for bombings conducted by Israel and the United States on three of its nuclear enrichment facilities.

Despite President Donald Trump’s announcement of a cease-fire between the two countries, U.S. antiterrorism officials remain on “high alert” regarding the possibility that an Iranian sleeper cell operative may carry out a domestic act of terrorism.

As reported by ICE agents, Karimi was detained while in possession of a card that identified him as a member of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army.

“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 illegally 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 act; we proactively fulfill President Trump’s directive to secure the homeland.”

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Karimi was detained in Locust, Alabama, while holding a K-1 visa, which is granted to foreigners intending to marry a U.S. citizen. It remains unclear who applied to be Karimi’s prospective spouse.

He arrived during the Biden administration and did not change his status, which was a legal obligation, thereby violating the terms of his visa and rendering him subject to deportation, as per DHS.

ICE executed a larger operation that resulted in the arrest of another individual on a federal watchlist while targeting eight states and nine sanctuary jurisdictions. Mehran Makari Sahel, from St. Paul, Minnesota, was apprehended on June 22. He is a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who has admitted to having l

Authorities have not linked any of the Iranian individuals to current terrorism schemes; however, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has urged state and local law enforcement to remain alert as the Trump administration seeks to detain individuals deemed suspicious, especially those associated with Iran.

Just one day prior to the eleven arrests, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) disclosed that officials in Florida apprehended a “boatload” of Iranian nationals who were attempting to land on the beaches of her state.

This information surfaces following Iran’s threats of retaliation in response to U.S. strikes on Sunday, which resulted in the destruction of three nuclear enrichment facilities. In a statement, the Florida Republican expressed that the risk of “sleeper cell” attacks by Iranian agents is a real concern.

“Am I worried about sleeper cells? Absolutely. This is NOT a conspiracy theory; it represents a significant national security risk,” she conveyed to Florida’s Voice News.

The exact number of individuals aboard the boat is still unknown, and it remains uncertain whether their arrival coincided with the attacks.

Nonetheless, critics of former President Joe Biden have previously highlighted the previous administration’s lenient border security and asylum policies, which permitted over 1,200 Iranian nationals to enter the United States within a four-year period.

“The probability of violent extremists within the Homeland independently resorting to violence in reaction to the conflict would likely escalate if Iranian leadership were to issue a religious decree advocating for retaliatory violence against targets within the Homeland,” asserts a bulletin published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday.

“It is our responsibility to ensure the safety and awareness of the nation, particularly during periods of conflict,” the Department of Homeland Security stated in a communication to Fox News Digital. “The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran heightens the potential threat to the homeland, manifesting as possible cyberattacks, violent acts, and antisemitic hate crimes.”