Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who once served in a covert Afghan unit run with CIA support that hunted Taliban commanders, now faces U.S. criminal charges after an attack near the White House that left National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom dead and another man critically wounded. Former U.S. colleagues described members of those “Zero Units” or National Strike Units as highly capable fighters whose work had saved American lives, Andrew Sullivan, a former Army officer and leader of resettlement group No One Left Behind, told reporters.
The Zero Units were among the most tightly vetted Afghans embedded with American forces. The CIA and ex-intelligence officers praised their courage, skill and loyalty, and the agency prioritized evacuating many of them when Kabul fell in 2021 because they were obvious targets for the Taliban. Still, refugee advocates say thousands who were resettled in the United States have lived for years in legal limbo without work authorization, leaving many struggling to provide for their families. Former CIA and military colleagues warned both administrations and Congress that delays in resolving their status had driven some veterans into despair.
Lakanwal, 29, is accused of driving across the country and opening fire near the White House last week; he was shot and injured during the incident and now faces first-degree murder and related charges, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive. Relatives said they were baffled that a man who fought alongside Americans could carry out such an attack. “I need your help to know why this happened,” a family member told NBC News.
In the immediate aftermath, President Donald Trump ordered a full review of Afghans admitted to the United States and temporarily paused processing immigration requests from Afghans seeking resettlement. Some administration officials suggested without publicly presented evidence that the prior administration failed to properly vet Lakanwal. Former intelligence and military officials countered that Zero Unit members went through extensive vetting before joining, received ongoing checks while serving, were evacuated by the CIA as U.S. forces withdrew in 2021 and were vetted again when they sought asylum. Multiple officials said Lakanwal’s asylum was granted in April under the previous administration.
A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, blamed policies of the prior administration and called Lakanwal “an animal,” saying he would not have been in the United States if not for what she termed dangerous policies under President Biden. Former intelligence officers and veterans cautioned, however, that no amount of screening can guarantee an individual will never commit an act of violence. “Vetting can help mitigate threats, but it doesn’t eliminate threats,” said Geeta Bakshi, a former CIA officer who now leads FAMIL, a nonprofit that helps Zero Unit members. She said investigators must determine motive and that the FBI is conducting a full probe.
Advocates say the struggle for many veterans predates the shooting. Zero Unit members endured intense combat, lost comrades and some were severely wounded. Like U.S. special operations veterans, many wrestle with wartime trauma, and advocates say the uncertainty of legal status in the U.S. has worsened mental health problems. A spokesperson for the 1208 Foundation, which assists Afghans who worked with U.S. Special Forces, warned that bringing people to the United States without a clear path to work or stability can leave them in desperate situations. He argued that properly resettled veterans could be valuable in security roles.
Lakanwal, who grew up in Khost province, lived in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children, according to a relative. This summer he reportedly worked for Amazon Flex, a delivery service that contracts drivers, though an Amazon spokesperson said he had not been active recently.
Two years ago, Mohammad Shah, a former Zero Units commander, warned lawmakers of an “urgent crisis” and urged Congress to resolve the legal status of his former troops. Shah told lawmakers some members of his community had attempted suicide amid feelings of helplessness.
Human rights organizations have documented alleged abuses by the Zero Units. Human Rights Watch reported alleged abusive night raids and cited 14 incidents of serious abuse from 2017 to 2019, including possible extrajudicial killings tied to faulty intelligence. Former members of the strike force and ex-CIA officers dispute those findings, saying the units were trained in the laws of armed conflict and that operations were reviewed in advance.
Earlier this month, veterans of the Zero Units were honored at an event in Washington organized by FAMIL that featured speeches from Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin and former CIA and military officials. “The Zero Units were the cream of the crop. They were the top of the top 1%,” Mullin said in a video posted by the group.
Legislative efforts have tried to resolve the legal uncertainty. A bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act was proposed to grant permanent status to Zero Unit veterans and other Afghans who worked for the U.S. government while calling for additional security vetting for those seeking it. Despite support from military veterans in Congress, the bill failed after several attempts. Tens of thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. still face uncertain futures, often applying for asylum while awaiting special immigrant visas. Advocates say returning to Afghanistan is not a viable option because the Taliban are likely to target those who aided American forces.
As of July, advocates said roughly 3,000 Zero Unit members remained without work permits or secure legal status. Since the U.S. troop withdrawal, both presidents who negotiated or carried out the exit have come under criticism. Trump, who signed the agreement for a U.S. withdrawal and has criticized how the pullout was handled, recently said some Afghans deserve legal status in the United States: “We know the good ones, and we know the ones that maybe aren’t so good. We’re going to take care of those people, the ones that did a job [for us], the ones that were told certain things.”
Reporting for this story was contributed by Dan De Luce of the NBC News Investigative Unit and Rich Schapiro of the NBC News national security unit.