Two Afghan men, who are U.S. citizens for their past service assisting American special forces in fighting the Taliban, have been arrested and accused of stealing equipment valued at more than $18,000 from the England national soccer team. The incident occurred as the team's gear was being transported from their pre-tournament base in Florida to their training facility in Kansas City.

Mustafa Salik, 40, and Erfan Kamal, 35, were apprehended by police after the items went missing from a van. The stolen property included three signed England shirts, each valued at $4,900, along with boots and other team accessories. The theft reportedly took place in Columbia, Missouri, approximately 150 miles from Kansas City, during a 21-hour overland journey.

During a bail hearing in Kansas City, lawyers for Salik and Kamal successfully argued to reduce their bond from $75,000 to $20,000. Both men face potential prison sentences of up to seven years if convicted.

Court documents reveal that Kamal worked for nine years as a contractor for U.S. military special forces in Afghanistan before immigrating to the United States. His defense team argued that his return to Afghanistan would result in "certain death" by the Taliban and emphasized his adherence to Islamic principles against theft. The defense also noted that the alleged offense was not violent, all items were recovered, and no loss was sustained by the victim.

Salik's lawyer also presented arguments, with parts of his written submission redacted for national security reasons. According to his lawyer, Salik had worked with the U.S. military for 15 years assisting in the fight against the Taliban prior to immigrating. Similar to Kamal, his lawyer contended that deportation would lead to his death.

The defense attorneys stated that both men deny the accusations, asserting that theft is against their religious beliefs and that they believed they were permitted to take the items. The drivers worked for a firm called Vista Trans Holding. The case has been adjourned until next month, with Pashto interpreters required for Kamal.

As part of the bail conditions set by Judge Joel P. Fahnstock, both men were ordered to surrender their passports and maintain a distance of at least 1,000 feet from the England team's hotel, training facility, and any FIFA event spaces.