Did the suspect who shot the National Guardsmen have any documented employment or contract history with the CIA?
Executive summary
Available reporting across major outlets says the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had documented ties to CIA-backed units in Afghanistan and was admitted to the United States in 2021 “due to his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA,” according to CIA Director John Ratcliffe and multiple news organizations [1] [2] [3]. Reporting describes him as having served in elite, CIA-supported Afghan counterterrorism or “Zero Unit” partner forces, but outlets note details about the nature of his employment or formal contract status with the CIA are limited or not publicly detailed [4] [5] [6].
1. What public sources say about his CIA ties — confirmed but not contract language
News organizations report that the CIA director and U.S. officials confirmed Lakanwal worked with or served in CIA-backed Afghan units; The New York Times, Reuters and The Guardian all relay the CIA’s statement that he was a member of a partner force in Kandahar and was admitted to the U.S. because of prior work with U.S. entities, including the CIA [1] [2] [3]. NPR, BBC, AP and PBS likewise report he served in an elite, agency-supported counterterrorism unit in Afghanistan [5] [7] [6] [8]. None of those accounts use the term “employee” or “contractor” to describe a formal CIA employment contract; they instead describe service in CIA-backed or CIA-supported partner forces [4] [5].
2. How outlets describe the unit — “Zero Units” and paramilitary partners
Several outlets identify the forces Lakanwal served with as one of the Afghan paramilitary counterterrorism groups commonly called “Zero Units” or an NDS-designated partner force that worked closely with U.S. special operations and the CIA. Fox News and Reuters cite reporting that the force was trained and supported by the U.S., and some pieces say the unit was operated or backed by the CIA [4] [2]. This language implies operational partnership rather than direct, salaried CIA employment as traditionally understood [4] [5].
3. How officials framed U.S. admission to the country
Officials cited in reporting say Lakanwal was brought to the U.S. in the 2021 evacuation effort because of his prior work for U.S. government entities, including CIA-backed units; that rationale was used during evacuations and humanitarian parole programs for at-risk Afghan partners [1] [7]. Reporting notes he arrived under humanitarian parole during evacuations and later received asylum in April 2025, but the sources do not detail a formal CIA hiring or contracting process connected to his U.S. admission [5] [7].
4. What is known about formal employment or contractor records — not found in current reporting
Available sources do not produce public documentation such as a CIA employment record, contractor contract, or paystubs showing Lakanwal as a formal CIA employee or contractor. Reporting consistently characterizes his role as service in CIA-backed or CIA-supported Afghan units, and several outlets emphasize the secrecy typically surrounding identities and arrangements with such units, which can limit public documentary evidence [4] [3]. Therefore, explicit contractual paperwork or an employment roster linking him directly as a CIA employee is not shown in the cited coverage [4] [6].
5. Competing interpretations and political uses of the disclosure
Officials and commentators are using the CIA tie in differing ways. CIA Director Ratcliffe and some political figures portray Lakanwal’s prior work as a reason he was evacuated and question vetting decisions [1] [9]. Advocacy groups and some journalists caution against generalizing about Afghan evacuees and say vetting claims require more evidence; PBS reports pushback that the case should not be used to stigmatize broader communities [8]. These disagreements reflect competing agendas: security-focused actors highlighting operational risk versus civil society and resettlement advocates warning of political weaponization [9] [8].
6. What reporters say investigators are still checking
News outlets report federal investigators (FBI, CIA, DoD) are probing Lakanwal’s background, overseas associations and motives; prosecutions are moving forward on criminal charges while motive and the precise nature of his U.S. government ties remain under investigation [10] [2]. Reporting signals the story is evolving and that further disclosures — including whether any formal contractual relationship with the CIA can be proven in public records — may emerge as the probe continues [10] [2].
Summary: Multiple reputable outlets and the CIA director confirm Lakanwal served with CIA-backed Afghan units and that his prior work was a factor in U.S. evacuation and admission [1] [2] [3]. However, the publicly available reporting does not provide explicit documentary evidence of a direct CIA employment contract or formal contractor status; it describes partnership, paramilitary service and operational support rather than a clear employment record [4] [6].