Former Afghan Collaborator with US Special Forces Dies in ICE Custody Hours After Arrest

Mohammad Nazir Paktyawal, a 41-year-old Afghan who worked with US special forces for nearly a decade, died less than 24 hours after his arrest by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Texas.

Paktyawal was arrested Friday morning, 22 Hoot, in front of his home in Richardson while preparing to take his children to school. The US Department of Homeland Security said he felt pain after the arrest, was transferred to Parkland Hospital in Dallas and died there despite treatment efforts. DHS accused him of minor crimes and described him as an illegal immigrant.

Paktyawal had been evacuated to the US after the Taliban takeover in 2021, where he lived in Texas and worked as a baker. His asylum case was ongoing. His family denies the criminal accusations, stating he entered legally, had work authorization and one child who is a US citizen.

His brother, Nasir Paktyawal, told the Independent newspaper that his brother was not a criminal but a hero who fought alongside US forces. Nasir said Paktyawal called him in distress after the arrest, complaining of shortness of breath, chest pain and fear. The family alleges he faced mistreatment in custody and was denied access to his respiratory medication.

Afghan Evac, an organization supporting US-allied Afghan evacuees, called the death "very unusual" and urged the US government to explain how a 41-year-old man died so soon after arrest. The incident marks at least the 24th death in US immigration detention over the past year.

The House Democrats' Foreign Affairs Committee issued a statement noting sarcastically that Paktyawal fought alongside US soldiers, was brought to the US by the government but died in an immigration detention center in Texas. Paktyawal's family demands a transparent investigation and plans to transfer his body to Afghanistan for burial.