At the same Tempe residence where Iranian national Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand was arrested, ICE agents also took into custody Linet Vartaniann, a United States citizen. Vartaniann was arrested after she threatened to shoot ICE officers as they attempted to conduct lawful enforcement actions. According to ICE officials, she made multiple verbal threats, including a statement that she would “shoot ICE officers in the head” if they entered her home, and that she intended to go outside and open fire.
Due to the credible and immediate nature of the threat, ICE officers secured a federal search warrant for the residence. Agents executed the warrant without incident and arrested both Vartaniann and Eidivand. Vartaniann now faces serious federal charges for threatening a federal law enforcement officer, a felony offense under U.S. law. Authorities have not disclosed whether any weapons were recovered from the scene, but the nature of the threat and the presence of a previously armed illegal alien at the home raised immediate safety concerns.
Vartaniann’s arrest highlights the growing hostility federal officers sometimes encounter during lawful immigration enforcement operations. Her actions placed federal agents at direct risk and resulted in criminal charges that may carry significant penalties. She is now in federal custody pending prosecution. The Department of Justice will handle her case in coordination with ICE and other federal agencies involved in the June 22 enforcement action.
