ICE arrests Azerbaijan national with multiple criminal convictions including animal cruelty, arson

Illegal Immigrants

ICE arrests Azerbaijan national with multiple criminal convictions including animal cruelty, arson

Arrest comes after U.S.-brokered peace accord in the South Caucasus

Alexandra Koch Fox News

Published

December 5, 2025 7:10pm EST

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Trump announces peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia

Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy reports on President Donald Trump brokering a deal with Azerbaijan and Armenia on ‘Special Report.’

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Friday agents arrested an illegal immigrant from Azerbaijan, who had multiple convictions for crimes including cruelty to animals.

Rafael Vladimirovi Sarkisyan, of Azerbaijan, was arrested by ICE Los Angeles Nov. 25, and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings, according to officials.

Sarkisyan was previously convicted of cruelty to animals, causing a structure fire, and manufacturing a controlled substance, ICE wrote in a statement.

Rafael Vladimirovi Sarkisyan, of Azerbaijan, was arrested by ICE Los Angeles Nov. 25. (ICE)

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It is unclear when he arrived in the country or where he entered.

The U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory on May 21 advising U.S. travelers to exercise increased caution in Azerbaijan "due to terrorism."

Exterior of federal building in downtown Los Angeles as people line up outside

The federal building in downtown Los Angeles, where ICE and other agencies are headquartered. (Google Maps)

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"Terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and are a risk in Azerbaijan," according to the advisory. "Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. They may target: Tourist locations; transportation centers (airports); markets and shopping malls; local government buildings; hotels, clubs and restaurants; places of worship; parks; major sporting and cultural events; educational institutions; and other public areas."

There are also concerns in the former Soviet-era Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast and surrounding territories due to landmines, following armed hostilities in 2023.

South Caucuses leaders sign peace agreement at White House

President Donald Trump, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, left, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan display the peace agreement they signed Aug. 8 in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

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President Donald Trump was praised in August for a U.S.-brokered peace accord which ended three decades of war and hostility in the South Caucasus.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

ICE arrests Azerbaijan national with multiple criminal convictions including animal cruelty, arson