Farzad “Tony” Toutouni, the Iranian-born Instagram personality known for displaying luxury cars and a lavish lifestyle to more than a million followers, was arrested by US immigration officers on 27 October 2026, according to an announcement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE made the arrest public on Monday 9 November. The agency says Toutouni is in federal immigration custody while removal proceedings continue. ABC7 Los Angeles also reported the detention, although the precise arrest location has not been independently established.
What ICE says about the arrest
In a statement issued on 9 November, ICE identified Toutouni, who has also used the name Robert, as an Iranian citizen arrested by officers from its Los Angeles office. The announcement did not say where he was detained or whether he or his legal representatives had responded to its account.
ICE described a lengthy history of immigration proceedings. According to the agency, Toutouni first entered the United States legally in 1983. An immigration judge ordered his removal in 1993, but he remained in the country. ICE says another removal order followed in 1999 and that he was subsequently deported to Mexico.
The agency further says Toutouni reported returning to the United States in April 2011 by crossing the river near St Clair, Michigan, on an electric raft purchased in Canada. This account of his re-entry comes from ICE and has not been independently verified by Fish 4 News.
Criminal history cited by the agency
ICE says Toutouni had previously been arrested in connection with allegations including criminal threats, conspiracy and controlled-substance offences. It also lists a sentence of more than 16 months in relation to offences including forgery, robbery, kidnapping and extortion.
The release does not provide the underlying court records or a complete chronology of each case. Those details are therefore being reported as ICE’s account, rather than as independently verified findings in this report. The current detention is an immigration enforcement action, not an announcement of fresh criminal charges in those historic matters.
Who is Farzad ‘Tony’ Toutouni?
Toutouni has built a social media following of more than one million people, sharing images associated with expensive cars, private aircraft and parties. The nickname “King of Instagram” has appeared in coverage of his online persona for years.
His name also appeared in earlier reporting about a separate Hollywood Hills killing. The Los Angeles Times reported in August 2025 that Emil Lahaziel was shot dead in June 2023 after attending a high-stakes poker game at a property rented by Toutouni. Toutouni was not accused of carrying out that killing. The incident is separate from the immigration proceedings announced this week.
What happens next?
ICE says Toutouni will remain in its custody pending removal proceedings. The agency has not publicly provided a hearing date or said whether he intends to contest removal. An arrest by ICE does not, by itself, establish the final outcome of an immigration case.
The report below was published by ABC7 Los Angeles, which covered ICE’s announcement on 10 November.
If the video does not load in your browser, watch ABC7’s report on YouTube.
