Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old accused in the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House, is now known to have a long history of working with US intelligence. Newsweek, citing Fox News Digital, reported that Lakanwal had previously worked with the CIA through a partner force in Kandahar before the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The attack has been described by officials as a targeted ambush, and both Guard members remain in critical condition.

Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the evacuation program that brought Afghans who assisted US agencies to safety. CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox that Lakanwal was admitted based on his prior service with several government entities, which included a decade working through the CIA-backed Qandahar Strike Force and operating alongside US Special Forces. These ties explain why he was eligible for relocation after the fall of Kabul.

Intelligence sources told Fox that his connections to US government operations were well established before he entered the country. The new reporting adds to what documents had already shown about his CIA-linked background. Beyond these details, officials have not released further information about his life in the US or any indication of what led to the ambush.