Incident Involving Afghan National and National Guardsmen

An Afghan national was charged with ambushing two members of the West Virginia National Guard in Washington, D.C. Reports indicate he had previously worked with the CIA in Afghanistan.

Rahmanullah Lakhanwal allegedly shot security guards Andrew Wolf, 24, and Sarah Beckstrom, 20, at the Farragut West subway station, not far from the White House. After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, he arrived in the United States and was involved in operations in Kandahar province.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe mentioned that the Biden administration facilitated Lakhanwal’s relocation to the U.S. due to his involvement with U.S. government efforts, including those connected to the CIA, despite those operations concluding shortly after the withdrawal.

Shortly before the shooting, Lakhanwal reportedly shouted “Allah Akbar!” before he opened fire. A journalist named Julio Rojas witnessed the incident, noting that one of the National Guard members used a pocket knife to attack Lakhanwal, while another soldier shot back at him.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a suspension of immigration application processing for Afghan nationals, citing a need to reassess security and vetting protocols. They emphasized that the safety of Americans is their top priority.

In a related incident, the FBI arrested another Afghan national, Nasir Ahmad Tawhidi, in Oklahoma City in October 2024, as part of a plot to plan a terrorist attack using semi-automatic weapons.

As tensions rise, discussions surrounding security measures and immigration policies are becoming increasingly urgent.