Ever wonder how deep the rabbit hole of illegal immigration and national security threats runs? You’ll find out in the saga of the Iranian human smuggling hub busted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Los Angeles.
At a Glance
- Federal agents have busted an Iranian human smuggling hub operating out of a home in Los Angeles.
- The location was used to harbor illegal immigrants, including several Iranian nationals on the FBI’s Terror Watchlist.
- Two individuals were arrested in a raid on Friday, just days after seven others were apprehended at the same address.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated the smuggling network posed a direct risk to U.S. national security.
A Terror-Linked Smuggling Hub in LA
Federal agents have dismantled a human smuggling hub in the North Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles that was being used to harbor illegal immigrants from Iran, including individuals flagged on the FBI’s Terror Watchlist. The raid, conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), highlights the grave national security threats embedded within the nation’s ongoing immigration crisis.
“The location has been repeatedly used to harbor illegal entrants linked to terrorism,” CBP said in a statement. The agency has described the operation as part of an “aggressive action to shut down smuggling networks and remove national security threats before they can do harm.”
A Week of Raids and Arrests
The law enforcement action unfolded in two stages. On Friday, June 27, 2025, CBP’s elite Special Response Team executed a federal search warrant at the home on Napa Street, arresting two individuals. This followed the arrest of seven other Iranian nationals at the same address just days earlier.
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, some of the individuals arrested earlier in the week were on the FBI’s Terror Watchlist and were described as “associates of an Iranian human trafficking network.”
An Uneasy Neighborhood
The discovery of a potential terror-linked smuggling operation has shattered the peace of the quiet suburban neighborhood. Residents had noticed a change at the property over the last six months.
“There was a bunch of young people, and they would hang out at night, pacing on the phone, sitting on the curb,” neighbor Claudio Bonoli told CBS News. He said that other neighbors felt “kind of intimidated by them.” The news that potential terrorists were living just two doors down from his home left him and others completely surprised and deeply concerned. The raid underscores the reality that the border crisis is now directly impacting the safety of suburban communities across the country.
