Agencies | Lucknow:
Months after the arrest of US drone expert Matthew VanDyke in Manipur, another American citizen has been detained in India under suspicious circumstances. Jordan Brown, a California resident who claims to be a former member of the US Special Forces, was arrested by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) near the Sonauli India-Nepal border on July 11.
According to officials, Brown was intercepted while allegedly attempting to cross into Nepal without valid travel documents. Authorities said he tried to flee after being stopped by SSB personnel, but was apprehended with the assistance of local villagers.
A video circulating on social media purportedly shows villagers helping security personnel surround and detain the American national.
Officials said Brown’s statements during interrogation have been inconsistent, prompting security and intelligence agencies to launch a detailed investigation into his identity, travel history and the purpose of his visit.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Maharajganj, Siddharth, said Brown had entered India by sea in November 2025 and had been living in Goa since then.
In a video statement issued by the Police Media Cell, the officer said Brown was detained by the SSB while attempting to cross into Nepal without authorisation.
During questioning, Brown reportedly claimed that he had travelled to Thailand on a tourist visa, where he lost his passport. He then allegedly travelled to Sri Lanka by sea before entering India through another maritime route on November 2, 2025, and had since been residing in Goa.
Police said no valid passport, visa or other travel documents were recovered from his possession.
A case has been registered at Sonauli Police Station under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act for entering India without valid documents. Further legal proceedings are underway.
Brown also told investigators that he studied at the University of California and served in the US military for six years before leaving the service approximately two years ago.
However, officials said his account of his movements changed repeatedly during interrogation.
In one version, Brown maintained that he had lost or had his passport stolen in Thailand before travelling via Sri Lanka and entering India by sea. In another, he claimed he had arrived directly in Goa from the United States two months ago, spent six weeks there, travelled to Bengaluru, boarded a bus to Lucknow on July 8, and later reached Gorakhpur before hiring a taxi to Sonauli.
Brown further claimed he was travelling to Nepal to meet a Nepalese national identified only as “Naz”, whom he allegedly met in Goa. He told investigators that another acquaintance in Bengaluru was holding his passport. However, police said he was unable to provide verifiable names, addresses or contact details for either individual.
He also claimed that he met an Indian woman from Uttarakhand in Italy three years ago and married her in October 2024. According to Brown, she currently works as a yoga instructor, though investigators have not verified the claim.
At the time of his arrest, authorities recovered ₹31,460 in cash and two mobile phones from his possession, but no official identification documents.
Given Brown’s claim of having served in the US Special Forces and the sensitivity of the India-Nepal border, central intelligence agencies have joined the investigation to ascertain the purpose of his undocumented travel and examine any possible security implications.
The arrest comes days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA), on July 3, produced five Ukrainian nationals and one US citizen before the Patiala House Court in New Delhi. They were arrested for allegedly providing terrorist and combat training, including drone warfare and other military technologies, to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar after entering India on tourist visas and travelling into Myanmar through Mizoram. The accused remain in judicial custody while the investigation continues.
