A 37-year-old Arizona woman, Linet Vartanians, has been charged with threatening to shoot ICE agents outside her Tempe home, raising serious questions about law enforcement safety and immigration enforcement. The agents were attempting to apprehend her husband, Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, a 40-year-old Iranian national living in the U.S. illegally.
According to federal court documents and reports from the New York Post, Vartanians allegedly denied agents entry on Saturday, demanding a warrant before calling local police. ICE officers left the property, only to return the next day with a search warrant following a tip that there were firearms in the house.
Upon re-entering the home, agents reportedly discovered a loaded firearm on the kitchen counter and another on a nightstand. Vartanians is accused of threatening federal agents with gun violence during a 911 call, reportedly stating she would shoot them in the head if they returned without a warrant.
The Arizona Republic reported that Eidivand has been charged in U.S. District Court with felony possession of firearms while unlawfully residing in the United States. Vartanians is being charged separately for making threats against federal officers.
Both individuals are scheduled to appear in court on July 9, 2025. The incident comes at a time when immigration enforcement and border security remain heated issues nationally. ICE has not released further details regarding the operation or the status of Eidivand’s removal proceedings.
This case is expected to draw broader scrutiny over illegal immigration and the risks faced by federal agents attempting to enforce immigration laws. The use of weapons and threats in defiance of federal law underscores a dangerous trend in non-cooperation with ICE detainer operations.
