National Guard Shooting Suspect Previously Worked With CIA-Backed Unit in Afghanistan
New details have emerged about the man accused of carrying out a deadly ambush on two D.C. National Guard members near the White House, revealing that he once served with a CIA-supported paramilitary unit in Afghanistan.
The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, was arrested after the November 26 attack that killed one Guardsman and critically wounded another.
Authorities described the assault as a calculated, close-range ambush carried out near a Washington Metro station just blocks from the presidential residence.
He was shot and detained at the scene.
U.S. federal investigators and the CIA later confirmed that Lakanwal had been part of a CIA-backed “partner force”, sometimes referred to as a Zero Unit—elite Afghan counter-terrorism units trained and supported by the agency during America’s two-decade war in the country.
These units conducted high-risk operations against Taliban and ISIS targets across provinces including Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan.
After the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, he was evacuated under Operation Allies Welcome and brought to the United States. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted it in April 2025, though he had not yet received permanent residency.
The shooting has triggered a sweeping national backlash and intense political debate, with officials questioning whether gaps in vetting allowed a potentially dangerous individual to slip into the U.S. system. In response, federal authorities have suspended immigration processing for Afghan nationals, signaling a reassessment of all cases linked to evacuation programs.
At this stage, investigators have not publicly identified a motive. Lakanwal is reportedly refusing to cooperate, and the FBI is examining his communications and possible connections. Authorities say no evidence has yet linked him to wider networks, though they continue to explore whether the shooting was ideologically motivated or the act of a lone individual.
Lakanwal faces charges including assault with intent to kill and multiple firearms offences. Those charges may escalate depending on the medical outcome of the surviving Guardsman and additional findings from the investigation.
The incident has quickly become one of the most contentious national-security flashpoints of the year, raising questions about the U.S. evacuation of allied Afghan fighters, the adequacy of vetting processes, and the broader risks posed by former operatives resettled after the fall of Kabul.
