An Afghan national suspected of opening fire on two National Guard members near the White House this week, fatally wounding one, was previously affiliated with one of the CIA’s "Zero Units" in Afghanistan and entered the US as part of Operation Allies Welcome, according to officials.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was arrested shortly after allegedly shooting Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, on Wednesday. Beckstrom later died of her injuries, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.

Lakanwal faces three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and three counts of firearm possession during a violent crime.

Read more: Trump confirms death of National Guard troop shot near White House

Rahmanullah Lakanwal charged after fatal D.C. attack

Authorities say Lakanwal drove cross-country to carry out the attack. He arrived in the US in September 2021 during the Biden administration’s resettlement of Afghan nationals following the US evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem confirmed Lakanwal entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome, a federal program created to assist Afghan partners of the US government.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that Lakanwal served in Kandahar as part of a CIA-affiliated paramilitary group. Several officials familiar with the case, speaking anonymously, confirmed Lakanwal was assigned to one of the agency’s CIA Zero Units, which conducted counterterrorism raids during the war in Afghanistan.

Read more: Afghanistan withdrawal was 'complete failure' of US leadership: Pompeo

CIA 'Zero Units' accused of human rights abuse

The CIA’s "Zero Units", also known as National Strike Units, carried out high-risk night raids targeting members of the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and ISIS. While their operations were viewed by US intelligence officials as instrumental to counterterror efforts, they have also faced serious allegations of human rights abuses.

A 2019 report by Human Rights Watch accused these units of executing detainees and conducting raids with little accountability. The CIA has never formally acknowledged its role in organizing or supporting the units.

Units praised for combat skill, shadowed by controversy

According to officials, fighters in the "Zero Units" were subject to extensive vetting before deployment. Lakanwal was among those resettled in the US after assisting American operations during the chaotic withdrawal in 2021.

“He would have been closely monitored during and after service,” one official said, adding that his past affiliation does not explain the motive behind the shooting.

In Bellingham, Washington, where Lakanwal lived with his wife and five children, neighbors described him as polite and quiet. One local, Mohammed Sherzad, said he had seen Lakanwal regularly at a nearby mosque and that their children attended school together. He had not seen him recently.

Read more: Three Chinese nationals killed in Afghan border attack on Tajikistan

Afghan Americans condemn act, urge public not to generalize

Following the attack, the Alliance of Afghan Communities in the United States released a statement condemning the violence while urging authorities and the public not to scapegoat Afghan immigrants.

“This was an individual act of moral deviation, not the reflection of a nation,” the statement read. “We urge the American public not to judge thousands of innocent Afghans based on the actions of a single person.”

Trump links shooting to wider immigration crackdown

US President Donald Trump responded by threatening to end migration “from all Third World countries,” and US Citizenship and Immigration Services later confirmed it had paused Afghan immigration case processing pending a review of vetting protocols.

This marks a sharp shift in tone toward Afghan nationals who were relocated to the US under assurances of safety and protection after serving American interests.

Marc Polymeropoulos, a former US intelligence official who worked in eastern Afghanistan, defended the integrity of Afghan partners. “Our partners constituted the finest fighting force in eastern Afghanistan, who we trusted with our lives each and every day,” he said.

Read more: Secret DOJ memo exposes flaws in Trump’s boat strike justification