Ex-Afghan Lawmaker Extradited to US on Drug, Weapons Charges
WASHINGTON- Former Afghan lawmaker Abdul Zahir Qadeer has been extradited from Kenya to the United States to face charges alleging he orchestrated an international narcotics and weapons trafficking operation, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday.
Qadeer, who was arrested in Nairobi in April 2025, appeared in the United States after Kenyan authorities approved his extradition. The Justice Department alleged that the former Afghan parliamentarian was involved in large-scale trafficking of narcotics and firearms across international borders.
According to the department, Qadeer served as deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s National Assembly before the Taliban returned to power in 2021. He also previously held the rank of general in the Afghan Border Force.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche alleged that, while presenting himself as a political leader, Qadeer was directing a criminal enterprise engaged in trafficking illicit drugs and heavy weapons.
Prosecutors said a criminal complaint alleges that Qadeer discussed plans to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine into the United States during meetings with an individual who was, unbeknownst to him, a confidential source working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The complaint also alleges that Qadeer negotiated the sale of hundreds of heavy machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, pistols and grenades as part of the same operation.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Qadeer allegedly arranged a two-kilogram test shipment of narcotics that was delivered in South Africa to a purchaser who was secretly cooperating with the DEA.
Federal prosecutors said the investigation relied on undercover operations involving confidential sources as authorities sought to document the alleged trafficking network before bringing charges.
Qadeer has been charged with conspiracy to import narcotics and firearms into the United States. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Justice Department did not disclose whether Qadeer had entered a plea or identified legal representation on his behalf following his extradition.
The case represents another cross-border law enforcement operation involving alleged international narcotics trafficking and weapons smuggling, with cooperation between U.S. and Kenyan authorities leading to Qadeer’s transfer to face prosecution in a U.S. federal court.
