The Zero Unit Ghost: How a CIA-Backed Fighter Slipped Into America and Ended Up at the Center of the D.C. National Guard Shooting

A fact-driven reconstruction of Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s past inside the CIA’s Zero Unit system, his evacuation to the United States, and the verified history behind the mission that shaped him.

Morning readers.

Here is what we know and what the record confirms.

On the morning of the attack near Farragut West, two National Guard soldiers were ambushed. One of them, Sarah Beckstrom, later died. Federal investigators arrested the suspect immediately. His name is Rahmanullah Lakanwal. Within hours, Afghan sources began telling reporters that Lakanwal had once been part of a CIA-aligned paramilitary group called a Zero Unit.

Over the past week, Drop Site News published a detailed investigation that tracked Lakanwal’s history stretching from Khost Province to the streets of Washington, D.C. What follows is a reconstruction of the facts, supported by external sources and verified historical material. This report contains no speculation. Only what can be confirmed.

A Former Paramilitary Fighter in the U.S.

According to the Drop Site News investigation, five Afghan sources independently identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal as a former member of a CIA-backed Zero Unit. These units operated across Afghanistan during the U.S. War on Terror and were not part of the Afghan national military structure.

“They answered to the CIA. Not the Afghan government. Not the Afghan police.”

— Afghan official interviewed by Drop Site News

Zero Units have been extensively documented by Human Rights Watch and the New York Times. Their operations were conducted outside Afghan government oversight and relied heavily on night raids, forced entries, and joint missions with U.S. intelligence officers.

Lakanwal was reportedly part of one of these teams before being evacuated to the United States in 2021 during the collapse of Kabul.

A System Built in the Shadows

From 2002 to 2021, Zero Units functioned as paramilitary extensions of U.S. intelligence. These groups were designed to pursue Taliban figures, conduct rapid strikes, and gather human intelligence in rural areas. They also came under repeated scrutiny from journalists, NGOs, and former Afghan officials due to allegations of civilian casualties and internal violence.

“Zero Units operated outside normal Afghan jurisdiction. We could not discipline them or review their actions.”

— Former Afghan Interior Ministry official, cited in Drop Site reporting

Documented allegations include:

• Civilian deaths during night raids

• Enforced disappearances

• Summary executions

• Violent clashes with Afghan police units

• Participation in airstrike targeting decisions

Lakanwal was reportedly present during at least one raid in Kandahar where Afghan police officers were killed. This is consistent with past reporting of clashes between Zero Unit teams and local Afghan law enforcement.

A Brief Imprisonment in Afghanistan

According to Afghan sources, Lakanwal and several members of his team were detained by Afghan authorities after the raid in Kandahar. The detention lasted only a few days.

The reason is now part of the public record.

Zero Units answered exclusively to U.S. intelligence, not Afghan courts. Afghan police lacked authority to hold them.

“They were paid through the CIA pipeline even while they were behind bars.”

— Afghan local cited in the Drop Site report

No long-term consequences followed.

Evacuation to the United States

When the Afghan government collapsed in August 2021, Zero Unit fighters were among the first groups prioritized for evacuation. According to multiple sources and leaked internal documents, approximately seven thousand paramilitary fighters and their family members were transported out of Afghanistan.

Human Rights Watch has noted that these groups often received preferential treatment during evacuation despite limited vetting and little assessment of their past conduct.

Lakanwal was one of them.

After resettlement, he reportedly worked as a delivery driver in the United States. His family remained in Khost Province.

The Washington, D.C. Attack

On the day of the shooting, Lakanwal allegedly ambushed two National Guard soldiers near the White House. Investigators have not released a motive. President Donald Trump described the attack as an act of terrorism. Lakanwal is now charged with murder.

Afghan sources cited in the Drop Site report claim Lakanwal had a history of psychological instability and drug use during his time in Afghanistan. These claims have not been contradicted publicly.

“There were signs of trauma. There were signs of instability. No one intervened.”

— Former Zero Unit fighter interviewed anonymously

This testimony aligns with broader reporting that many former Zero Unit members suffered trauma, lacked institutional support after evacuation, and struggled with integration in their new environments.

Impact on His Family and Former Unit

Back in Khost, locals say Lakanwal’s relatives have withdrawn from public life. According to on-the-ground testimony, they no longer attend mosque gatherings or market events and have refused interviews.

Former Zero Unit members now living in the United States and Europe also told reporters they fear deportation or investigation under current U.S. policy. Many have experienced economic instability, untreated trauma, and the loss of the institutional structure that defined their lives for years.

What This Case Reveals

This case has reopened questions about the CIA’s use of paramilitary militias during the War on Terror, the opaque process that resettled them in the United States, and the long-term consequences of those decisions.

This reporting does not address motive.

It does not draw assumptions.

It simply documents the known history that shaped the man now at the center of a national investigation.

“The system produced him. The collapse released him. And America received him without a plan.”

— Afghan security analyst interviewed by Drop Site News

As investigators continue building their case, the factual record around Zero Units will remain an essential part of understanding the context of the D.C. attack.

References

Drop Site News. (2025). Locals say National Guard shooter was imprisoned in Afghanistan after Zero Unit killings. https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/national-guard-shooter-rahmanullah-lakanwal-afghanistan-zero-units-cia-imprisonment

Human Rights Watch. (2019). Afghanistan. CIA-backed abuses. https://www.hrw.org

New York Times. (2020). C.I.A. backed Afghan forces leave trail of abuse and death. https://www.nytimes.com

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. (2020). Human rights findings. https://unama.unmissions.org

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