The autopsy report for an Afghan immigrant who died at a Texas hospital after immigration authorities detained him shows that methamphetamine in his system likely contributed to his death.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, died on March 14, one day after he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Paktiawal suffered an adverse drug reaction that triggered anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, which worsened his asthma, according to reports.
On Wednesday, Houston Public Media reported that Dallas County released the Afghan immigrant’s autopsy report after previously declining to do so, citing the ongoing federal investigation.
According to the county’s medical examiner, the man died from anaphylaxis complicating acute asthma exacerbation. The methamphetamine reportedly in Paktiawal’s system, along with a history of cigarette smoking and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease — a hardening and narrowing of the arteries — contributed to his death.
“Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal’s death is currently under active investigation. We refer you to the detainee death report and the medical examiner for further information,” a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said in response to The Christian Post’s request for comment.
Attorney Scott Shuchart, who served as assistant director for regulatory affairs and policy counselor to the director at ICE during the Biden administration, questioned how Paktiawal had access to methamphetamine.
“There certainly shouldn’t be access to methamphetamine for detainees,” Shuchart told HPM. “So, if it’s correct that that was something that contributed to the cause of death, that’s quite concerning. And then, if it was primarily some kind of asthma-type reaction, why couldn’t that have been treated successfully on-site?”
Paktiawal’s sudden death earlier this year while in ICE custody sparked outrage because he had served an ally of U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan for a decade.
In a March 15 statement, ICE said the Afghan immigrant had a “known criminal history.” The federal agency reported that Paktiawal was arrested in September 2025 for fraud involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and in November 2025 for theft, though some advocates argue he was not convicted on those charges.
An immigration officer paroled Paktiawal into the U.S. after he entered the country in August 2021 at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, ICE said. The agency added that the Afghan national’s parole expired in August 2025.
“ICE arrested Paktiawal March 13 during a targeted enforcement action and placed him into immigration proceedings. At the time of arrest and processing, he did not report any prior medical history,” the federal agency said in its March 15 press release.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
