The Department of Homeland Security on Sunday released the names of six Afghan nationals accused of involvement in security-related incidents in the US, arguing that the cases point to vetting failures during the Biden administration’s evacuation of Afghan allies in 2021.
The statement, posted on the department’s official account on X, listed individuals who had been arrested or charged with crimes ranging from alleged terrorist plots to assault and sexual offenses. DHS officials said the individuals entered the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, a program launched after the fall of Kabul to resettle tens of thousands of Afghans.
“These are just a few of the criminals who have rewarded American generosity with violence,” the statement read, accusing the Biden administration of having “flooded our communities” with security risks.
According to DHS, the cases include:
Jamal Wali, who was killed by police in Fairfax, Virginia, after allegedly shooting and injuring two officers during a traffic stop. Officials said he entered the US under the 2021 evacuation program and shouted, “I should have served with the Taliban” during the incident.
Abdullah Haji Zada and Nasir Ahmed Tawhedi, who were arrested in Oklahoma and charged with plotting a terrorist attack timed to Election Day 2024. Authorities said they possessed ammunition and had expressed allegiance to the Islamic State.
Mohammad Kharwin, reportedly on a federal terror watchlist, who was apprehended by Border Patrol in 2024 but released into the country. He was later rearrested.
Javid Ahmadi, who was arrested and later convicted of second-degree assault in 2025, after previously being allowed to remain in the US
Bahrullah Noori, an evacuee at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, who was charged with attempting to engage in a sex act with a minor using force.
Zabihullah Mohmand, who was resettled in Montana and charged with the rape of a teenage girl in a motel room.
The DHS statement did not specify the legal outcomes of each case or whether the individuals remain in custody. Some were charged; others were convicted; and several cases remain pending.
The department’s announcement is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to cast doubt on the vetting procedures used during the Biden-era evacuation, which brought over 76,000 Afghans to the United States. While the Biden administration maintained that evacuees underwent biometric and background checks by multiple agencies, critics — including current DHS officials — have argued the process was rushed and incomplete.
“These are the people the Biden administration claimed were ‘fully vetted,’” the department said. “Americans do not have to suffer violence from people who should not be here at all. We will send them back.”
The statement does not clarify whether deportation proceedings have begun.
Immigration advocates have cautioned against generalizing the actions of a few individuals to an entire displaced population. Most evacuees under Operation Allies Welcome were interpreters, contractors, or civil society members who had worked with the US military or diplomatic missions and fled Afghanistan under threat from the Taliban.
DHS has recently announced a review of thousands of Afghan refugee cases and suspended visa processing for Afghan passport holders.
