The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended two men in Los Angeles linked to an Iranian human smuggling network, which officials called a hub for illegal immigrants tied to terror threats. The dramatic operation was supported by multiple federal agencies and followed the previous arrest of seven Iranian nationals on the FBI’s Terror Watchlist.
For context, CBP officials drew attention to the crime ring’s threat to national security and cited intelligence about trafficking from enemy regimes like Iran. The Trump administration’s focus on border security was credited for enabling the aggressive action to dismantle the smuggling operation.
Announcing the raid on June 27, 2025, in a social media post, CBP said, “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 Air and Marine Operations.”
Building on this point, the CBP added, “The location has been repeatedly used to harbor illegal entrants linked to terrorism. Under @POTUS, CBP is taking aggressive action to shut down smuggling networks and remove national security threats before they can do harm.”
Adding more context, CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham stated, “Intelligence indicates the smuggling network has trafficked individuals from adversarial regimes, including Iran—posing direct risks to U.S. national security. President Trump is clear: the safety of the American people comes first.”
Reacting to the case on social media, a prominent conservative said, “NEW INFORMATION: Two Iranian nationals arrested in Van Nuys after U.S. Customs and Border Protection executed a search warrant targeting a human smuggling hub “tied to national security threats.” Translation: California is harboring illegal aliens on the FBI Terror Watchlist.”
In the comments under this post, users wer worried by the arrests, such as one comment which said, “Iranian illegals including some on FBI t*rror watchlist were running a human trafficking operation in Los Angeles. This is who California Democrats want to protect.” Agreeing, one user sarcastically said, “They’re just doing the jobs that Americans won’t do, right? That’s what the Democrats keep telling us. 🤔.”
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Continuing the reactions, several conservatives blamed the Democratic leadership of California, saying, “To those who still choose to vote Democrat. By supporting your party, you’re protecting people like this who want to do us ALL harm. What happened to you? Did tou all turn radical with your party?”
Worried about terror threats, another user said, “What a shock right @CAgovernor? You try to keep terrorists like this in your state??? I stay warning people about the Terrorist infiltration. This is a positive but there are so many more in our country 😩🤬”
In a separate social media post, another commenter noted, “So much winning! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 2 arrested at home allegedly tied to Iranian human smuggling in the San Fernando Valley Earlier this week, 7 Iranian nationals were taken into custody at the same home, including people listed on the FBI terror watch list.”