WASHINGTON – A suspect with CIA ties from Afghanistan is in custody after allegedly ambushing two National Guard members in the nation’s capital on Wednesday.
What we know:
Ramanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, is accused of opening fire on two National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, who are currently hospitalized and in critical condition.
The FBI is treating this as a terrorism investigation due to Lakanwal’s background.
The FBI and other federal agencies have executed search warrants and conducted interviews in Washington state, where Lakanwal lived.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that Lakanwal entered the U.S. in September 2021 during Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration initiative.
The backstory:
Lakanwal was part of a CIA-associated unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan. National security expert Jack Thomas Tomarchio explained that these units were highly trusted by the CIA and played crucial roles in operations against the Taliban.
Tomarchio noted that after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, members of these units were at risk from the Taliban.
“When Afghanistan fell and the Taliban took over, the members of the ‘zero units’ were in jeopardy,” Tomarchio said.
What’s next:
President Donald Trump has responded to the shooting by instructing ICE to halt immigration applications for Afghan nationals. Lakanwal’s asylum application was approved this year under the Trump administration. He remains hospitalized and will face multiple charges, including three counts of assault with intent to kill, once released.
What we don’t know:
Details about Lakanwal’s motivations and the full extent of his activities in the U.S. remain unclear.
