Daijiworld Media Network - Maharajganj
Maharajganj, Jul 14: A 36-year-old US national claiming to be a former US Navy and Special Forces serviceman was arrested near the Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh after allegedly attempting to cross into Nepal without valid travel documents. Authorities are verifying his identity and investigating his claims regarding his entry into India.
According to reports, personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) apprehended the man during a routine patrol on Saturday, Jul 11, in the Mainihwa area under the Sonauli police station limits in Maharajganj district.
The man was identified as Jordan Brown, who claimed to be a resident of California. Officials said he had travelled from Bengaluru to the Sonauli border and was allegedly attempting to enter Nepal when he was intercepted by SSB personnel. During verification, Brown allegedly tried to flee but was chased and caught by the security personnel.
Videos circulating on social media showed Brown, with a rope tied around one of his legs, being escorted into custody by SSB personnel amid a crowd of local residents.
Brown's arrest comes months after another American, Matthew VanDyke, was arrested along with six Ukrainian mercenaries near the India-Myanmar border. VanDyke, who was arrested in March and has often been described as a CIA asset and a former al-Qaida affiliate, is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail and has recently sought permission to cook his own food.
During the search, SSB personnel recovered Rs 31,460 in cash and two mobile phones from Brown. Officials said he failed to produce a passport, visa or any other valid travel documents authorising his stay in India or his proposed journey to Nepal.
SSB Assistant Commandant Priya Yadav said Brown was questioned by the SSB and other security agencies before being handed over to the Sonauli police for further legal action.
Maharajganj Additional Superintendent of Police Siddharth said Brown had allegedly entered India through a sea route in November 2025 and had been living in Goa since then.
In a video statement issued by the police media cell, Siddharth said Brown had travelled to Thailand on a tourist visa, where he claimed to have lost his passport. He then allegedly travelled by sea to Sri Lanka before entering India by sea on Nov 2, 2025. Since then, he had been residing in Goa and was attempting to travel to Nepal when he was intercepted by the SSB.
The officer said Brown's claims were still being verified. As no valid travel documents were found in his possession, a case has been registered against him under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
According to police, Brown gave investigators contradictory statements regarding his identity, travel history and purpose of visiting Nepal.
During questioning, Brown claimed he had travelled to nearly 70 countries and had arrived in India after visiting Bali, Indonesia, in May. He told investigators that he had studied at the University of California and had served in the US Navy and Special Forces for six years before leaving military service around two years ago. He also claimed that both his parents were deceased.
Another police officer said Brown claimed he had served in the US Navy and Foreign Services until 2024.
Brown further told investigators that he had arrived in Goa from the United States about two months ago, stayed there for nearly six weeks, travelled from Bengaluru to Lucknow by bus on Jul 8, proceeded to Gorakhpur and then hired a taxi to reach the Sonauli border.
He said he was travelling to Nepal to meet a Nepalese national identified only as "Naz", whom he claimed to have met in Goa. Brown also claimed that an acquaintance in Bengaluru was in possession of his passport but failed to provide verifiable details about the individual.
Brown further claimed that he had married an Indian woman from Uttarakhand in October 2024 after meeting her in Italy three years earlier and that she works as a yoga instructor.
Following his arrest, Brown was remanded to judicial custody. The US Embassy has been informed of the development, while further investigation and legal proceedings are underway.