Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting was employed by a top CIA unit

Details Emerge About Suspected Shooter of National Guardsmen Near White House

A suspect involved in the shooting deaths of two National Guardsmen close to the White House has a background that raises questions. According to new information, Rahmanullah Rakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, previously served in a CIA-backed counterterrorism unit during his time in Afghanistan.

Rakanwal was part of NDS-03, a specialized unit supported directly by U.S. intelligence and military resources, as reported by Afghan Evak, a nonprofit focused on aiding Afghans with Special Immigrant Visas. This unit operated mainly in southern Afghanistan, in regions like Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan.

NDS-03 was one of several paramilitary groups collaborating with the CIA, often referred to as “Unit Zero” due to its number designation within the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS).

The personnel in Rakanwal’s unit were extensively vetted and trained by the CIA, and they undertook challenging counterterrorism operations. Those familiar with the team noted their trustworthiness and bravery.

Rakanwal arrived in the U.S. in 2021 after receiving humanitarian parole as part of the Biden administration’s Operation Welcoming Allies, a program designed to help Afghans vulnerable after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. It aimed to resettle individuals who had assisted U.S. forces.

Interestingly, Afghan Evak indicated that the suspect’s application for asylum had been approved previously, in April 2025, during the Trump administration.

Following the tragic shooting, U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C., Jeanine Pirro, along with FBI Director Kash Patel, expressed concern over the vetting process. At a recent press conference, Pirro stated that the incident exemplifies the risks of permitting individuals into the country without thorough testing. Patel suggested that the current administration has let in numerous people without adequate background checks.

One senior official noted that the CIA had conducted its vetting of Rakanwal before he started working with them, using various databases, including the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) records to verify he had no known affiliations with terrorist organizations.

According to the official, Rakanwal began working for the CIA around the age of 15. This staff member added that it was common practice for Afghans to falsify their birth certificates in order to qualify for employment with the U.S. government, pointing out how challenging it is to verify ages in Afghanistan due to limited record-keeping.

The official emphasized that Rakanwal was thoroughly screened during Operation Welcoming Allies in 2021, confirming that “nothing came out of the scrutiny,” meaning he passed all checks.

Rakanwal is currently accused of the fatal shooting of Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, near a subway station on Wednesday afternoon. Pirro described the attack as a targeted ambush and mentioned that Rakanwal was subdued and hospitalized under high security after being shot by responding personnel.