Federal agents raided a residence in Los Angeles on Friday that authorities say was being used as a hub to harbor Iranian nationals with ties to terrorism. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed the operation, which resulted in two arrests and comes amid heightened national security efforts following President Donald Trump’s military strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
“This location has been repeatedly used to harbor illegal entrants linked to terrorism,” CBP said in a statement. The agency noted that the raid was carried out by its Special Response Team with support from Border Patrol tactical units and Air and Marine Operations.
This isn’t the first time the property has drawn federal attention. A prior raid led to the arrest of seven Iranian nationals, some of whom were listed on the FBI terror watch list and had connections to a human smuggling ring with links to Iran’s regime.
The most recent arrests are part of a broader crackdown on Iranian nationals following the precision U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. In just the week after the strikes, federal authorities arrested 130 Iranian illegal aliens, with 670 now being held in ICE custody across the country.
Among those apprehended:
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A former Iranian military sniper.
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An individual identified as a member of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with ties to the terror group Hezbollah.
Authorities also arrested an American citizen during the Los Angeles raid. She faces federal charges for allegedly harboring one of the Iranian nationals and threatening to shoot officers during the operation.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the Biden-era laxity is over. “We’ve been saying we’re getting the worst of the worst out — and we are,” McLaughlin said. “We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”
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CBP executed a federal search warrant today at a human smuggling hub in Los Angeles tied to national security threats. Two individuals were arrested during the operation, which was led by CBP’s Special Response Team with support from Border Patrol tactical units and… pic.twitter.com/9bhtCw2iWs
— CBP (@CBP) June 27, 2025
The raid underscores a growing focus within the Trump administration on rooting out foreign threats and dismantling smuggling networks that endanger national security.