DALLAS — Dallas County is withholding the full autopsy report of Afghan asylum seeker Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, who died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in March, after District Attorney John Creuzot asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block its release because of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
The county has declined multiple public information requests for the report. Creuzot’s office cited the pending federal investigation in asking Paxton, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, to prevent its disclosure.
Paktiawal, 41, died at Parkland Hospital less than 24 hours after ICE agents detained him outside his home near Dallas on March 13.
His death certificate lists anaphylaxis and asthma caused by an adverse drug reaction and methamphetamine ingestion as the cause of death. The document does not state when the methamphetamine was ingested.
Paktiawal’s family disputed the findings, saying he had no known allergies and did not use illegal drugs.
“My family has waited months to understand how my brother died, and we’re still waiting for an answer,” his brother, Naseer Paktiawal, said. “I want the medical examiner’s autopsy report to be released. I want every question to be answered, and I want accountability.”
According to AfghanEvac, a nonprofit organization that assists Afghan allies resettling in the United States, an independent forensic pathologist hired by the family found no significant underlying health conditions. The organization said the examination occurred after Paktiawal’s body had been embalmed, leaving no blood available for independent toxicology testing.
Paktiawal served alongside U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan for more than a decade before relocating to Texas in 2021 after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. He is survived by his wife and six children.
Following his death, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Paktiawal’s humanitarian parole had expired and that he had previously been arrested on allegations of SNAP fraud and theft. The department said no charges were filed.
The department also stated on social media that it had no record of Paktiawal’s military service. However, Houston Public Media reported it reviewed a certificate from U.S. Army Special Forces recognizing Paktiawal for his “sacrifice and service” with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Shawn VanDiver, founder and president of AfghanEvac, called for greater transparency regarding the case.
“If there is an active federal criminal investigation as the Dallas County DA states, then the American people deserve to know why,” VanDiver said. “The only way to restore confidence is through a complete and independent thorough accounting of what happened during Mr. Paktiawal’s detention and the medical care that he received.”
