Two Iranian dudes pretend to be DHS employees in DC, manage to get close to Secret Service agents in process

[Dan Druff]

Crazy story out of Washington DC.

Two men, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36, both of Iranian descent (but I assume are American citizens?), posed as Department of Homeland Security employees in order to establish closeness with Secret Service agents in the area.

They befriended four Secret Service agents, including one who protects Jill Biden. They gave the agents various gifts, including free rent in an expensive DC apartment.

Taherzadeh provided members of the Secret Service and an employee of DHS with items such as “rent-free apartments (with a total yearly rent of over $40,000 per apartment), iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat screen television, a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator, and law enforcement paraphernalia,” according to an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in D.C.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md...ion-navy-yard/


Amazingly, this whole thing would still be going on today, if it weren't for a random, unrelated attack on a mail carrier.

A postal carrier was attacked for unknown reasons while delivering mail to the building, and apparently these two fake DHS guys witnessed it. A USPS inspector went down to the building to talk to people about the assault, and some of them said that they believed that two DHS guys saw what happened. When the "DHS" guys were questioned, they lied and claimed they were assigned to investigate the January 6 attacks, as well as gang-related activity in the area. A check with DHS showed they were full of shit and didn't actually work there, and everything unraveled from there.

Had that postman not been assaulted on March 14, these dudes would still be cozying up to Secret Service agents.

How does this even happen? How are members of the Secret Service so stupid to get duped like this? It's unclear what these men were trying to accomplish, and it's not clear if they had terrorist motivations.

[BCR]

Crazy story out of Washington DC.

Two men, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36, both of Iranian descent (but I assume are American citizens?), posed as Department of Homeland Security employees in order to establish closeness with Secret Service agents in the area.

They befriended four Secret Service agents, including one who protects Jill Biden. They gave the agents various gifts, including free rent in an expensive DC apartment.

Taherzadeh provided members of the Secret Service and an employee of DHS with items such as “rent-free apartments (with a total yearly rent of over $40,000 per apartment), iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat screen television, a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator, and law enforcement paraphernalia,” according to an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in D.C.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md...ion-navy-yard/


Amazingly, this whole thing would still be going on today, if it weren't for a random, unrelated attack on a mail carrier.

A postal carrier was attacked for unknown reasons while delivering mail to the building, and apparently these two fake DHS guys witnessed it. A USPS inspector went down to the building to talk to people about the assault, and some of them said that they believed that two DHS guys saw what happened. When the "DHS" guys were questioned, they lied and claimed they were assigned to investigate the January 6 attacks, as well as gang-related activity in the area. A check with DHS showed they were full of shit and didn't actually work there, and everything unraveled from there.

Had that postman not been assaulted on March 14, these dudes would still be cozying up to Secret Service agents.

How does this even happen? How are members of the Secret Service so stupid to get duped like this? It's unclear what these men were trying to accomplish, and it's not clear if they had terrorist motivations.

I’m sure there are smart people working for the secret service, but a lot of those protection details, I’m not so sure. A guy who grew up like three houses down from me works for the secret service. He was a jock. All-American college football player.

Has a degree, but from interacting with him, I’ve never viewed him as a sharp guy. His social circle, some of who work with him, don’t appear to be either just talking to him on social media.

He has a degree, but i don’t consider him particularly smart. I’d guess they hire a lot of guys like him. Guys who are super proficient in executing their job while doing it like it’s a sports play or military drill, but not particularly sharp off the job. I’d guess a lot of homicide detectives are way sharper than protection detail guys.


As a matter of fact, I could see him falling for this if he wasn’t married and already a homeowner with older kids.

He’s been DC-based for decades. I know he’s a protection detail guy, but he’s pretty tight-lipped on what. He isn’t some close friend. I’m better friends with his sister who is my age, but I’ve known him since I was like 6.

Like I’d guess the guys who work counterfeiting and people analyzing video to spot threats in a crowd and direct these guys are the smart ones, and these guys are kind of the street level cop aspect of the job.

[sonatine]

honestly the fact that the iranians were hoarding kit/gear in their own apartments makes me wonder if they were just larping autists who got in over their heads.

also per bcr's comment, i knew a secret service guy a long time ago. he was literally a very junior fbi agent who applied for a transfer to the secret service 3 or 4 times and eventually got accepted. its not some 'best and brightest' team of big brain superspys, usually its jocks who didnt smoke dope or party and maybe had a stint in the army, especially when you get into PP roles. whatever clint eastwood was portraying in 'line of duty', im not sure if it ever existed but its clearly not the norm at this point.

iirc they do have some incredible talent in the teams that bust counterfeiters however.

[Dan Druff]

As usual, The Daily Mail did the best job with fleshing out the details:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...officials.html


I liked this part:

They also reportedly set up fake websites to support their claim that they were members of the 'special police' and are accused of conning an unnamed 'applicant' to join their Homeland Security task force they had invented.

The recruitment process included shooting the applicant with an airsoft rifle, supposedly to evaluate their pain tolerance, and have the applicant researching an unnamed person who worked as a contractor for the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.

[JohnCommode]

It's no longer shocking to me that a CNN report on this fiasco did not mention their ethnicity. The ethics of both CNN and Fox when it comes to potentially politically charged events are beneath contempt. This time it was CNN's turn.

[herbertstemple]

honestly the fact that the iranians were hoarding kit/gear in their own apartments makes me wonder if they were just larping autists who got in over their heads.

also per bcr's comment, i knew a secret service guy a long time ago. he was literally a very junior fbi agent who applied for a transfer to the secret service 3 or 4 times and eventually got accepted. its not some 'best and brightest' team of big brain superspys, usually its jocks who didnt smoke dope or party and maybe had a stint in the army, especially when you get into PP roles. whatever clint eastwood was portraying in 'line of duty', im not sure if it ever existed but its clearly not the norm at this point.

iirc they do have some incredible talent in the teams that bust counterfeiters however.

Brains probably not the most important qualification for this assignment. The willingness of someone to take a bullet for the President more important. That would rule out a lot of agents right there. If they had any sense.

[Entropy]

Hmmm that's a weird story, perhaps the Mossad trying to sabotage the Iran deal even though it's probably already sabotaged.

This Iran fanaticism is out of control and totally unwarranted.
They should take the the Iran deal and all countries can enjoy peace, security and prosperity.
Btw
It was a low point for American cred when Trump pulled out of the last deal, maybe even treason.

[lol wow]

Usually iranians are just driving around beverly hills wishing they were armenians