An illegal immigrant from Iran and his U.S. citizen wife, who allegedly threatened to shoot federal law enforcement officers, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Arizona.
Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, 40, entered the U.S. illegally in 2012 and has ignored orders to voluntarily remove himself from the U.S., according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The agency recently attempted to administratively arrest Eidivand at his residence in Tempe. Officers were met by his wife, Linet Vartaniann, who allegedly threatened to shoot the officers, according to ICE.
“She claimed that she had a loaded gun and that she would shoot anyone who tried to come inside the house. She also threatened to go outside and shoot ICE officers in the head,” ICE said in a statement. “When the police dispatcher spoke with Eidivand, he confirmed that there were guns in the home.”
Iranian national Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand and his wife were arrested by ICE in Arizona after he ignored a deportation order since 2013.
When ICE came to their home, his wife allegedly threatened to shoot the agents in the head.
These are the people Democrats want to protect. pic.twitter.com/vwEfde695r
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 26, 2025
After executing a federal warrant on the residence on June 22, federal officers found two loaded firearms.
Eidivand has been charged for alien in possession of a firearm, which carries up to 15 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines if convicted. Vartannivartanians is charged with threatening a federal officer, which if convicted could mean up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 maximum fine.
Eidivand was one of 11 Iranian nationals in the U.S. illegally who were arrested in recent weeks, among them suspected terrorists, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“Under Secretary [Kristi] 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,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement last week. “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.”
