Federal investigators are now examining a disturbing new possibility in the case of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national accused of murdering one National Guard soldier and critically wounding another just blocks from the White House. According to intelligence officials speaking with The Daily Beast, authorities are probing whether Lakanwal was blackmailed by the Taliban and coerced into carrying out the deadly ambush.
The 29-year-old former Afghan fighter, who once worked alongside U.S. Special Forces and the CIA as a GPS-tracking specialist, is charged with first-degree murder for the Nov. 26 attack on two West Virginia National Guard troops. The shooting left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom dead and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe fighting for his life.
Sources say investigators are exploring whether a Taliban hit squad threatened Lakanwal’s family back home, warning that his relatives could be beaten, killed, or even beheaded unless he acted. One official stressed that it is not the only theory being considered, but noted that many Afghans who aided U.S. forces live under immense psychological pressure knowing their loved ones remain at risk under Taliban rule.
“It is by no means our only line of inquiry,” an intelligence source said. “People in this country have no idea about the level of stress these people are under.”
Lakanwal’s profile complicates the case further. He is married, a father of five, and has no criminal record or known extremist affiliations. He passed security screenings under both the Biden and Trump administrations. He entered the U.S. in 2021 through President Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome and later applied for asylum in 2024. His asylum was approved in April 2025 under the Trump administration.
Yet investigators remain puzzled by his actions: driving thousands of miles for what looks like a suicide mission, armed only with a revolver, and attacking trained soldiers in a heavily monitored area.
While intelligence agencies consider Taliban coercion a viable possibility, President Trump and other MAGA leaders have already denounced Lakanwal as a “terrorist” and “monster,” calling for the death penalty. The White House also emphasized that Lakanwal’s removal was never possible under Biden-era parole rules. A senior official said that Biden’s 2023 settlement with immigration advocates required expedited asylum adjudication and effectively shielded individuals like Lakanwal from deportation regardless of the outcome.
Adding another layer of complexity, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Lakanwal worked directly with U.S. intelligence in Afghanistan — a role that almost certainly made him a target for Taliban retaliation.
As investigators sift through motives, the case is rapidly becoming one of the most politically explosive national-security incidents of the year.
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