Lawmakers Demand Autopsy Release After Afghan Ally Dies in ICE Custody

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a veteran of the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command and former ally of U.S. Army Special Forces, died on March 14, 2026, at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained him at his Richardson home the previous day for deportation proceedings while an asylum claim was pending. Paktiawal died within 24 hours of his arrest after experiencing shortness of breath and a swelling of the tongue.

A death certificate ruled the death an accident caused by anaphylaxis complicating acute asthma exacerbation, triggered by an adverse drug reaction and the toxic effects of methamphetamine. Paktiawal's family denies he used illegal drugs, noting his history as a truck driver who passed rigorous physicals. His wife further alleges that ICE agents refused to take his asthma inhaler when he was arrested.

Texas authorities and the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office have blocked the release of the full autopsy report, citing a federal criminal investigation. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot requested that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton support this withholding. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed there was no record of Paktiawal's military service and cited previous arrests for fraud and theft, though media reports identified a certificate of service.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Julie Johnson have called the lack of transparency a cover-up, demanding accountability for Paktiawal's death. The advocacy group AfghanEvac, led by Shawn VanDiver, continues to push for the release of the medical records to determine how Paktiawal was exposed to the substances mentioned in the death certificate.