The brother of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old Afghani charged with the ambush murder of National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, served as a platoon leader in the same elite CIA-backed “Zero Unit” as his murderous sibling.
Lakanwal, who entered the United States in 2021 under Biden’s rushed Operation Allies Welcome program after claiming to aid U.S. forces against the Taliban, began his career in the Zero Unit in 2012 as a security guard.
He advanced to roles as a team leader and GPS specialist, operating in the volatile southern province of Kandahar.
His brother, who has not been publicly identified, reportedly held a higher position as a platoon leader in the unit and now resides in America, thanks to Biden.
The Biden administration allowed over 100,000 Afghans into the U.S. amid the 2021 withdrawal chaos. Lakanwal arrived with his wife and five children, and President Trump has not ruled out deporting the family, stating his team is “looking at that right now.”
A Kandahar resident identifying as Lakanwal’s cousin told the Associated Press that both brothers served in Kandahar with the CIA-backed force.
A former Zero Unit official, speaking anonymously, corroborated the brother’s leadership role.
The Zero Units were elite Afghan commando teams funded and trained by the CIA, known for high-risk operations against the Taliban but also criticized for alleged human rights abuses during the war.
Hellbound and Down 