The investigators claimed that Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, had appeared as various U.S. government officials and officials, including members of the federal law enforcement agencies, since February 2020 and had tricked real federal officials into their mask. Each of them is accused of a false impersonation of a federal officer and they have not yet filed a recitation. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that investigators are considering whether the two suspects may have links to Iran’s intelligence services, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite Iranian military special operations force or the Quds Force. Prosecutors said Thursday that Ali told witnesses he had links to the Pakistani intelligence service, which the government said it had not yet verified. Prosecutors also said the government had recovered his passport, which contained three “older” visas for Pakistan and two Iranian visas from 2019 and January 2020. There was evidence of Ali’s Iranian visa that some had entered the country. moment, prosecutors said, though they did not specify when. philipcopping The government also said it had difficulty finding an exact address for Taherzadeh, but signs indicate he is currently a US citizen. According to a criminal complaint that was unleashed late Wednesday after the raid of several services in an apartment complex in Washington, DC, the duo allegedly acquired tools, revolvers and assault rifles used by the federal law enforcement agencies. The FBI claimed to have used their false connections with the US government “to flatter members of the federal law enforcement and defense community” by giving gifts and favors to residents of an apartment building, many of whom were FBI operatives. and the Ministry of Homeland Security and Defense. Taherzadeh, allegedly acting as a Homeland Security or HSI special agent, is accused of providing members of the US Secret Service and a DHS employee with rented apartments, “iPhone, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat-screen TV.” , a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator and law enforcement tools “. In one case, Taherzadeh allegedly offered to buy a gun for a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the first lady. Secret Service personnel were stationed at a luxury apartment building in Southwest DC near the apartment building where the suspects were staying, according to U.S. officials. However, Secret Service officials have moved out of the apartments, posing a challenge for investigators trying to determine if their walls had been breached. The FBI has taken over all the electronic material and evidence related to this case, according to U.S. officials. Prosecutors told Judge G. Michael Harvey on Thursday that during a search of an apartment complex in Washington, DC, investigators found a loaded Glock-19 pistol, 40-50 rounds of ammunition, and stockpiles of weapons, saying they were compatible. with long arms. The researchers also found ballistic vests, zippers, handcuffs, radios, drones, DHS patches on vests and clothing, training manuals and surveillance equipment. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal prosecution, confidential witnesses alleged that the men used fraudulent government e-mail addresses, claimed to have state-owned vehicles and claimed to have access to personal information of all residents of the apartment complex through their positions in law enforcement. The couple allegedly recruited an individual to apply for a fraudulent DHS / HSI post, a process that required the applicant to “shoot with an Airsoft rifle to assess their tolerance and response to pain,” according to the documents. billing. The affidavit did not specify what the ultimate goal of the two men might have been. The two suspects were arrested Wednesday in the Eastern Market district of Washington, DC, a few blocks east of the US Capitol, the FBI confirmed. An investigation into the two men began March 14 when a U.S. Postal Inspector responded to a DC apartment building for a report of an attack on a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier. Taherzadeh and Ali initially said they were HSI special agents and had been involved in undercover gang-related investigations, as well as investigations into last year’s US Capitol uprising. Homeland Security Investigations, a research arm of DHS, is the federal government’s primary agency responsible for disrupting transnational terrorism-related threats that violate U.S. customs and immigration laws. Haider Ali was under investigation by the HSI office in Newark and the US Postal Service for fraudulent activity resulting from an alleged credit card ring system, according to two law enforcement sources. The status of this investigation remains unclear. Four intelligence agents have been placed on administrative leave amid ongoing investigations. The U.S. Secret Service learned of the federal investigation for the first time last week, prompting the agency to launch an administrative review of the four officers involved on Monday. The internal investigation remains in its “very early stages”, US Secret Service officials say, but at this point, Secret Service staff – two agents and two uniformed officers – appear to have been “actually deceived” by suspects. , in accordance with law enforcement authorities. officials say investigators have not yet found evidence of misconduct. While investigators continue to seek answers as to why the agents were ostensibly deceived, all four officials are currently being treated as witnesses in the investigation. However, the Secret Service personnel involved have essentially “put it on the ice”, according to a Secret Service official. Agents and officers no longer have access to communications or surveillance systems – including information on the movements of Secret Service personnel and the locations of all Secret Service agents, including President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and First Biden. In a statement to CBS News, the US Secret Service said it had “cooperated and continues to work with its law enforcement partners in this ongoing investigation”. “All personnel involved in this matter are on administrative leave and do not have access to Secret Service facilities, equipment and systems,” the statement said. “The Secret Service adheres to the highest levels of professional standards and conduct and will remain in active coordination with the Ministries of Justice and Homeland Security.” The FBI also singled out an Internal Security Service (HSI) officer who was interacting with Taherzadeh and was among DHS staff who received gifts from suspects in the affidavit. According to a senior DHS official, the current employee, who does not serve as a law enforcement officer, has not been placed on administrative leave and is not subject to any internal control. And while the FBI is currently leading the criminal investigation, U.S. Secret Service investigators are working to understand how Taherzadeh obtained an HSI signal and “special police credentials.” Special Police Officers within the District of Columbia have been appointed by the mayor’s office and have full arrest warrant in the property or geographical area assigned to them to protect. However, it remains unclear how Taherzadeh allegedly obtained special police credentials, which may have given him status or access to places frequented by police officers. Taherzadeh and Ali face up to three years in prison if convicted, but prosecutors told the court on Thursday that they could also charge the couple as part of a conspiracy. Ryan Sprouse, Sophie Reardon, Pat Milton, Matt Mosk, Jeff Pegues and Julia Kimani-Burnham contributed to this report.

Nicole Sganga

CBS News reporter covering Homeland Security and Justice.

title: “Men Accused Of Impersonating Federal Agents Being Investigated For Possible Ties To Iranian Intelligence " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-10” author: “Darrell Dyer”

The investigators claimed that Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, had appeared as various U.S. government officials and officials, including members of the federal law enforcement agencies, since February 2020 and had tricked real federal officials into their mask. Each of them is accused of a false impersonation of a federal officer and they have not yet filed a recitation. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that investigators are considering whether the two suspects may have links to Iran’s intelligence services, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite Iranian military special operations force or the Quds Force. Prosecutors said Thursday that Ali told witnesses he had links to the Pakistani intelligence service, which the government said it had not yet verified. Prosecutors also said the government had recovered his passport, which contained three “older” visas for Pakistan and two Iranian visas from 2019 and January 2020. There was evidence of Ali’s Iranian visa that some had entered the country. moment, prosecutors said, though they did not specify when. The government also said it had difficulty finding an exact address for Taherzadeh, but signs indicate he is currently a US citizen. According to a criminal complaint that was unleashed late Wednesday after the raid of several services in an apartment complex in Washington, DC, the duo allegedly acquired tools, revolvers and assault rifles used by the federal law enforcement agencies. The FBI claimed to have used their false connections with the US government “to flatter members of the federal law enforcement and defense community” by giving gifts and favors to residents of an apartment building, many of whom were FBI operatives. and the Ministry of Homeland Security and Defense. Taherzadeh, allegedly acting as a Homeland Security or HSI special agent, is accused of providing members of the US Secret Service and a DHS employee with rented apartments, “iPhone, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat-screen TV.” , a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator and law enforcement tools “. In one case, Taherzadeh allegedly offered to buy a gun for a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the first lady. Secret Service personnel were stationed at a luxury apartment building in Southwest DC near the apartment building where the suspects were staying, according to U.S. officials. However, Secret Service officials have moved out of the apartments, posing a challenge for investigators trying to determine if their walls had been breached. The FBI has taken over all the electronic material and evidence related to this case, according to U.S. officials. Prosecutors told Judge G. Michael Harvey on Thursday that during a search of an apartment complex in Washington, DC, investigators found a loaded Glock-19 pistol, 40-50 rounds of ammunition, and stockpiles of weapons, saying they were compatible. with long arms. The researchers also found ballistic vests, zippers, handcuffs, radios, drones, DHS patches on vests and clothing, training manuals and surveillance equipment. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal prosecution, confidential witnesses alleged that the men used fraudulent government e-mail addresses, claimed to have state-owned vehicles and claimed to have access to personal information of all residents of the apartment complex through their positions in law enforcement. The couple allegedly recruited an individual to apply for a fraudulent DHS / HSI post, a process that required the applicant to “shoot with an Airsoft rifle to assess their tolerance and response to pain,” according to the documents. billing. The affidavit did not specify what the ultimate goal of the two men might have been. The two suspects were arrested Wednesday in the Eastern Market district of Washington, DC, a few blocks east of the US Capitol, the FBI confirmed. An investigation into the two men began March 14 when a U.S. Postal Inspector responded to a DC apartment building for a report of an attack on a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier. Taherzadeh and Ali initially said they were HSI special agents and had been involved in undercover gang-related investigations, as well as investigations into last year’s US Capitol uprising. Homeland Security Investigations, a research arm of DHS, is the federal government’s primary agency responsible for disrupting transnational terrorism-related threats that violate U.S. customs and immigration laws. Haider Ali was under investigation by the HSI office in Newark and the US Postal Service for fraudulent activity resulting from an alleged credit card ring system, according to two law enforcement sources. The status of this investigation remains unclear. Four intelligence agents have been placed on administrative leave amid ongoing investigations. The U.S. Secret Service learned of the federal investigation for the first time last week, prompting the agency to launch an administrative review of the four officers involved on Monday. The internal investigation remains in its “very early stages”, US Secret Service officials say, but at this point, Secret Service staff – two agents and two uniformed officers – appear to have been “actually deceived” by suspects. , in accordance with law enforcement authorities. officials say investigators have not yet found evidence of misconduct. While investigators continue to seek answers as to why the agents were ostensibly deceived, all four officials are currently being treated as witnesses in the investigation. However, the Secret Service personnel involved have essentially “put it on the ice”, according to a Secret Service official. Agents and officers no longer have access to communications or surveillance systems – including information on the movements of Secret Service personnel and the locations of all Secret Service agents, including President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and First Biden. In a statement to CBS News, the US Secret Service said it had “cooperated and continues to work with its law enforcement partners in this ongoing investigation”. “All personnel involved in this matter are on administrative leave and do not have access to Secret Service facilities, equipment and systems,” the statement said. “The Secret Service adheres to the highest levels of professional standards and conduct and will remain in active coordination with the Ministries of Justice and Homeland Security.” The FBI also singled out an Internal Security Service (HSI) officer who was interacting with Taherzadeh and was among DHS staff who received gifts from suspects in the affidavit. According to a senior DHS official, the current employee, who does not serve as a law enforcement officer, has not been placed on administrative leave and is not subject to any internal control. And while the FBI is currently leading the criminal investigation, U.S. Secret Service investigators are working to understand how Taherzadeh obtained an HSI signal and “special police credentials.” Special Police Officers within the District of Columbia have been appointed by the mayor’s office and have full arrest warrant in the property or geographical area assigned to them to protect. However, it remains unclear how Taherzadeh allegedly obtained special police credentials, which may have given him status or access to places frequented by police officers. Taherzadeh and Ali face up to three years in prison if convicted, but prosecutors told the court on Thursday that they could also charge the couple as part of a conspiracy. Ryan Sprouse, Sophie Reardon, Pat Milton, Matt Mosk, Jeff Pegues and Julia Kimani-Burnham contributed to this report. Editor’s note: This story has been updated to remove a photo of the capture scene.

Nicole Sganga

CBS News reporter covering Homeland Security and Justice.