New details have emerged about the family ties of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old Afghan national accused of ambushing two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., killing Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.
According to officials familiar with his background, Lakanwal’s brother served as a platoon leader in the same CIA-supported Afghan commando network known as the Zero Units — an elite force established to hunt Taliban fighters during the war.
Background in a CIA-Backed Afghan Force
Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration’s emergency relocation effort following the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He reportedly joined the Zero Unit in 2012 as a security guard and rose through the ranks to become a team leader and GPS specialist, conducting operations in the volatile southern province of Kandahar.
His brother — whose identity has not been disclosed for safety reasons — held a more senior leadership position within the unit and is also believed to be living in the United States after being evacuated under the same program.
A man identifying himself as a cousin from Kandahar told the Associated Press that both brothers worked for the CIA-backed force. His account was supported by a former Zero Unit member, who confirmed the older brother’s leadership role but requested anonymity due to security concerns.
The Zero Units, while crucial to counterterrorism missions and U.S. evacuation efforts in 2021, have also faced scrutiny from human rights groups over alleged abuses during the war.
The Deadly D.C. Ambush
The attack unfolded Wednesday when Lakanwal allegedly opened fire on two unarmed Guardsmen assigned to “Operation DC Safe and Beautiful,” a routine downtown patrol mission.
Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was shot in the head and chest. She underwent emergency surgery but died on Thanksgiving Day.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was also critically wounded and remains hospitalized in life-threatening condition.
A responding Guardsman shot Lakanwal, who survived and was taken into custody. Prosecutors have elevated the charges to first-degree murder, and Attorney General Pam Bondi said the government will pursue the death penalty.
Political Fallout
The crime has ignited fierce political backlash.
Former President Donald Trump labeled the shooting a “terrorist attack” made possible by what he calls Biden’s “reckless” vetting failures. Trump also said his team is reviewing whether Lakanwal’s wife and five children — who arrived with him in 2021 — could face deportation.
The administration, meanwhile, has initiated sweeping policy reversals targeting the immigration system. These include:
- A freeze on asylum rulings for 2.2 million pending cases
- A halt on migration from several “third-world” or high-risk nations, including Afghanistan
- A review of green cards issued to immigrants from 19 countries deemed security-sensitive
Officials have framed these steps as necessary to prevent another incident like the D.C. ambush
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