An Afghan father of six, who worked with U.S. special forces for years in Afghanistan, died Saturday. This was less than 24 hours after ICE detained him outside his home in Richardson, Texas, according to his family, AfghanEvac, and ICE. Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal was 41 and had a pending asylum case at the time of his death.
Paktyawal was taken into custody at about 7 a.m. Friday, while he was dropping his children off at school, Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, told The Texas Tribune. AfghanEvac reported that Paktyawal served with U.S. Army Special Forces starting in 2005 in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.
He and his family were evacuated to the United States in August 2021 after the Taliban took over. He had been living in the Dallas area, waiting for a decision on his asylum claim.
“Right now our family is trying to comfort six children who have lost their father,” the family stated in a message shared by AfghanEvac. “We are heartbroken and trying to process this loss.”
A 41-year-old former Afghan Special Forces soldier, Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal, has died in ICE custody less than 24 hours after his arrest in Texas. Paktyawal, who fought alongside U.S. troops for a decade, was detained Friday morning in Richardson while dropping his children off… https://t.co/JbcDoATium
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) March 16, 2026
ICE stated in a news release on Sunday that Paktyawal’s death is under active investigation. The agency said he did not report any medical issues when he was arrested, but later complained of shortness of breath and chest pain while in a processing hold room at the ICE Dallas Field Office. Officials then transferred him to Parkland Hospital, where he stayed for observation on a doctor’s recommendation, according to ICE.
The next morning, hospital staff noticed that his tongue had become swollen while he was eating breakfast, ICE reported. The agency said medical personnel responded, and Paktyawal was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. Saturday. Reuters, citing ICE, reported that he was declared dead after multiple resuscitation attempts. A preliminary report from the Dallas County medical examiner did not provide a cause or manner of death.
“We don’t know what happened,” VanDiver told The Texas Tribune. “But it seems strange for a healthy 41-year-old man to die less than 24 hours after being taken into government custody.” AfghanEvac has called for an immediate investigation.
ICE stated that Paktyawal was detained in a targeted enforcement action and noted that he had prior arrests for SNAP fraud and theft. The agency did not mention any convictions related to those allegations.
An Afghan father who served with U.S. forces has died in ICE custody.
Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal was detained while dropping off his kids at school. He died less than 24 hours later. pic.twitter.com/VflNDgV0u7
— FactPost (@factpostnews) March 16, 2026
The Texas Tribune reported that Dallas County records show a grand jury indicted Paktyawal in September on a third-degree felony charge linked to food stamp benefits, and he later posted bond; however, no conviction has been recorded.
Paktyawal’s death occurs as ICE detention numbers and deaths in custody have risen. Reuters reported that at least 12 people have died in ICE custody this year, and 31 people died after being detained by ICE in 2025, the highest total in two decades. The Texas Tribune reported that Paktyawal’s case increases the number of in-custody ICE deaths in Texas to at least seven since December.
Paktyawal had been the main provider for his family and worked in the Dallas area after arriving in the United States, according to AfghanEvac. His death has left his wife and six children without their primary source of support, as advocates seek answers about what happened during the final hours of his life.
More than 70,000 Afghans entered the United States under the Operation Allies Welcome initiative of former President Joe Biden. The scheme came under scrutiny by the Trump admin after the National Guard’s deadly shooting in Washington in November 2025 by an Afghan national who came into the US under the program.
