COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Two Iranian nationals were arrested by ICE officials in Colorado Springs on Sunday, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a post to X, the Homeland Security page stated that Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour were taken into custody for being in the country illegally. DHS says that the two men were living together at the time of the arrest.
ICE arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally in the U.S. over the weekend. These arrests reflect @Sec_Noem’s commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 24, 2025
🧵The criminal illegal aliens arrested include an individual with admitted ties to…
According to DHS, this is not the first time immigration officials have encountered the men. DHS says Shafiei's first run-in with officials was in Seattle, Washington, in January 1981. DHS claims a judge ordered his removal in January 1987. DHS says Shafiei has a criminal history of drug crimes, assault, and child abuse.
In the post, DHS claimed that Mehdipour was known to officials after coming into contact with the U.S. Border Patrol in 2023 in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. He was processed as an expedited removal at this time, according to the department.
Both of the men are in ICE custody and waiting for removal proceedings. The department did not state where they are being held.
DHS says this was part of a weekend nationwide operation where 11 Iranian nationals were arrested for being in the country illegally. Coinciding with President Donald Trump's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
DHS said, "an individual with admitted ties to Hezbollah, a known or suspected terrorist, and an alleged former sniper for the Iranian army," was arrested, but did not clarify whether Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour were implicated in the statement.
News 5 has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for clarification on this matter and will update this article if a spokesperson responds.
___
Backlash in Colorado as National Park Signs Urge Visitors to Report 'Negative' Views About America
The signage went up at National Parks sites nationwide per executive order, but Amache and Sand Creek descendants want history preserved. Just days after the new signs, a small act of defiance surfaced at Amache National Historic Site.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
