Who is Mohammad Nazir Paktiyawal? Afghan father dies in ICE custody the day after being arrested in Texas

Mohammed Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, an Afghan father who served with U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2021, died in ICE custody within a day of his arrest in North Texas. Paktiawal has been living in Texas since 2021 as his asylum application is still pending with the government. He started working at an Afghan bakery in the Dallas area. According to reports, he was detained outside his apartment at around 7 a.m. on March 13 as he was preparing to send his children to school. Paktiawal contacted his family while in custody and told them he was not feeling well. He was taken to hospital at 11:45 p.m. The next morning, relatives were informed that he was receiving medical treatment, but by noon on March 14, they were informed that Paktiyawal had died. He has a wife and six children, one of whom is a U.S. citizen.

Who is Mohammad Nazir Paktiawal?

According to AfghanistanEvac, Paktiyawar began serving in the Afghan army in 2005. He served for more than a decade as a Special Forces soldier in Afghanistan. During the war in Afghanistan, he worked with U.S. Army Special Forces units, including 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Paktika Province.As U.S. troops left Afghanistan, his family was evacuated by the United States. According to ICE, he entered the United States through Washington Dulles International Airport on August 21, 2021, and was paroled by immigration officials. His parole authorization expires on Aug. 20, 2025, the agency said in a news release.ICE said he was arrested because his legal status had expired. AfghanEvac said he completed an asylum interview and was issued a work authorization and Social Security number. He was not in the country illegally and was going through immigration procedures. ICE said he had no medical history at the time of his arrest and was immediately taken to the hospital when he complained of shortness of breath. “He was a hero to his family, his people and his country,” his brother Naseer Paktyawal said of his decade-long military service and work with the U.S. Army. Mohammed Nazeer Paktyawal was arrested by local authorities in September 2025 on felony charges related to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fraud and again in November on theft charges. AfghanEvac said the arrest did not result in criminal charges and he has been released.