Top Trump intel official reveals DC terror suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal wasn’t vetted for entry to US

The tragic shooting incident in Washington, DC, where suspected Afghan terrorist Rahmanullah Lakanwal gunned down two National Guard service members, has raised serious concerns about the vetting process for individuals entering the United States. According to Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Lakanwal was not properly vetted before being allowed to enter the country in 2021.

Kent pointed out that the Biden administration was responsible for the lapse in vetting, as they admitted over 2 million individuals from Muslim majority nations and regions, including 85,000 Afghans, without the rigorous vetting that was previously in place. Lakanwal, who had previously served as a soldier fighting against the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and ISIS in Afghanistan, was not vetted for his suitability to live in the US and integrate into American communities.

A senior US official confirmed that Lakanwal had been vetted to fight alongside US forces in Afghanistan between 2011 and 2021, but this was considered a low standard that had never been used before to allow individuals into the US. The official stated that prior to the Biden administration, it took 18 months or longer for someone to be granted a Special Immigrant Visa, but Biden’s policies led to a more lenient approach to vetting individuals seeking entry into the US.

Both the Department of Homeland Security and the CIA have blamed the Biden administration for the DC shooting, citing the hasty withdrawal from Kabul in August 2021 as a contributing factor. Lakanwal, who was part of the CIA-backed Kandahar Strike Force, was brought to the US under the “Operation Allies Welcome” program, which aimed to assist Afghans who had fought against the Taliban.

The incident in DC, where Lakanwal ambushed the National Guard members, resulted in the death of Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom and critical injuries to Guardsman Andrew Wolfe. Lakanwal was subdued by a heroic Guardsman after exchanging gunfire with the troops. He had settled in Washington State with his family in September 2021 as part of the resettlement program.

In response to the incident, the Trump administration has halted immigration requests related to Afghan nationals pending further review of security and vetting protocols. They are also reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration to ensure that applicants are properly vetted. The president has directed a review of green card holders from countries of concern and paused asylum applications from all countries. The recent terror attack has prompted the State Department to pause visa processing for Afghan nationals, as stated by Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson at the State Department. The safety of Americans is the top priority for the Trump administration, leading to a comprehensive effort to safeguard national security.

A report from the Homeland Security inspector general in 2022 highlighted the challenges in screening and vetting evacuees from Afghanistan, citing a lack of critical data for proper evaluation. Under the Biden-era program, approximately 76,000 Afghans were admitted to the US, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the vetting process.

One such individual, Lakanwal, applied for a special immigrant visa and asylum, with the latter being granted in April after seeking asylum in December 2024. Chad Robichaux, a former Marine who participated in evacuating nationals from Afghanistan in 2021, raised concerns about the lack of vetting for the large number of Afghans flown to the US during the withdrawal.

Robichaux emphasized the importance of thorough vetting, recounting personal experiences where individuals who were initially trusted turned against the US forces. He highlighted the risks associated with inadequate vetting processes, especially for individuals with potential ties to extremist groups.

The uncertainty surrounding the background of individuals evacuated from Afghanistan raises security concerns, as highlighted by Robichaux. The lack of proper vetting procedures could potentially expose the US to security threats posed by individuals with unknown affiliations.

In the case of Lakanwal, who later became a suspect in the shooting of National Guard members, his trajectory from working with US troops in Afghanistan to becoming a delivery driver for Amazon Flex underscores the challenges of reintegrating individuals with traumatic experiences into society.

Reports of mental health struggles and the impact of combat experiences on individuals like Lakanwal shed light on the complexities of post-conflict reintegration. The need for comprehensive support systems and thorough vetting processes for individuals resettling in the US is crucial to ensure national security and the well-being of both the individuals and the communities they join.