American detained by India's SSB from near Nepal border a former Special Services officer?
A 36-year-old American who claimed to have entered India by sea after losing his passport in Thailand was arrested by the Sashastra Seem Bal near the Indo-Nepal border while allegedly trying to cross into Nepal without valid travel documents. Reports suggest he claims to be a former US Special Services officer.
A US national claiming to be a former US Navy and Special Forces serviceman has been arrested near the Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh while allegedly trying to cross into Nepal without valid travel documents, according to reports. Authorities are now verifying his identity and investigating his claims about how he entered India.
According to a report by the news agency PTI, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel apprehended the man during a routine patrol on Saturday (June 11) in the Mainihwa area under the Sonauli police station limits in UP's Maharajganj district.
The SSB identified the man as Jordan Brown, aged 36, who claimed to be a resident of California. Officials said Brown had travelled from Bengaluru to the Sonauli border and was allegedly trying to enter Nepal when he was intercepted by SSB personnel. According to the PTI report, Brown attempted to flee after being stopped for verification. However, the SSB personnel chased him down and took him into custody.
Videos circulating online show Brown, with a rope tied around his leg, being led into custody by SSB personnel while surrounded by a crowd of locals.
The arrest of Jordan Brown comes just months after another American, Matthew VanDyke, was held along with six Ukrainian mercenaries from near the Myanmar border. VanDyke, arrested in March, has often been referred to as a CIA asset who was once an al-Qaida affiliate.
VanDyke is lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail, and has recently appealed that he be allowed to cook his food.
During a search, SSB personnel recovered Rs 31,460 in cash and two mobile phones. Officials said he was unable to produce a passport, visa or any other valid travel documents authorising his stay in India or travel to Nepal.
AMERICAN EX-SERVICEMAN BROWN ENTERED INDIA VIA SEA
SSB Assistant Commandant Priya Yadav told PTI that Brown was questioned by the SSB and other security agencies before being handed over to the Sonauli police for further legal action.
News agency ANI quoted Maharajganj Additional Superintendent of Police Siddharth as saying 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, "On July 11, the SSB apprehended an individual near Sonauli for attempting to enter Nepal without authorisation."
He added, "During questioning, he revealed that he had travelled to Thailand on a tourist visa, where he lost his passport. He subsequently reached Sri Lanka via a sea route and arrived in India from there by sea on November 2, 2025. Since then, he had been residing in Goa. He was attempting to travel to Nepal when the SSB apprehended him."
The officer said Brown's claims were still under verification. "No valid travel documents were found in his possession," Siddharth said, adding that a case had been registered under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
JORDAN BROWN CLAIMED TO HAVE SERVED IN US NAVY AND SPECIAL FORCES
The Times of India, citing Sonauli Station House Officer Mahendra Mishra, reported that Brown gave investigators contradictory statements about his identity, travel history and purpose of visiting Nepal.
According to the newspaper, Mishra said, "He 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 said that both his parents had passed away."
"The accused told police that he had served in the US Navy and Foreign Services until 2024," an unnamed police officer told The Print.
The Times of India reported that Brown claimed he had arrived in Goa from the US about two months ago, stayed there for nearly six weeks, travelled from Bengaluru to Lucknow by bus on July 8, proceeded to Gorakhpur and then hired a taxi to reach the Sonauli border.
According to the report, Brown told investigators he was travelling to Nepal to meet a Nepalese national identified only as "Naz", whom he claimed to have met in Goa. He also claimed that another acquaintance in Bengaluru was in possession of his passport but failed to provide verifiable details about the person.
The newspaper further reported that Brown claimed 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.
Brown has since been arrested and sent to jail, while the US Embassy has been informed, The Times of India reported. Further legal proceedings are underway.
A US national claiming to be a former US Navy and Special Forces serviceman has been arrested near the Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh while allegedly trying to cross into Nepal without valid travel documents, according to reports. Authorities are now verifying his identity and investigating his claims about how he entered India.
According to a report by the news agency PTI, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel apprehended the man during a routine patrol on Saturday (June 11) in the Mainihwa area under the Sonauli police station limits in UP's Maharajganj district.
The SSB identified the man as Jordan Brown, aged 36, who claimed to be a resident of California. Officials said Brown had travelled from Bengaluru to the Sonauli border and was allegedly trying to enter Nepal when he was intercepted by SSB personnel. According to the PTI report, Brown attempted to flee after being stopped for verification. However, the SSB personnel chased him down and took him into custody.
Videos circulating online show Brown, with a rope tied around his leg, being led into custody by SSB personnel while surrounded by a crowd of locals.
The arrest of Jordan Brown comes just months after another American, Matthew VanDyke, was held along with six Ukrainian mercenaries from near the Myanmar border. VanDyke, arrested in March, has often been referred to as a CIA asset who was once an al-Qaida affiliate.
VanDyke is lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail, and has recently appealed that he be allowed to cook his food.
During a search, SSB personnel recovered Rs 31,460 in cash and two mobile phones. Officials said he was unable to produce a passport, visa or any other valid travel documents authorising his stay in India or travel to Nepal.
AMERICAN EX-SERVICEMAN BROWN ENTERED INDIA VIA SEA
SSB Assistant Commandant Priya Yadav told PTI that Brown was questioned by the SSB and other security agencies before being handed over to the Sonauli police for further legal action.
News agency ANI quoted Maharajganj Additional Superintendent of Police Siddharth as saying 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, "On July 11, the SSB apprehended an individual near Sonauli for attempting to enter Nepal without authorisation."
He added, "During questioning, he revealed that he had travelled to Thailand on a tourist visa, where he lost his passport. He subsequently reached Sri Lanka via a sea route and arrived in India from there by sea on November 2, 2025. Since then, he had been residing in Goa. He was attempting to travel to Nepal when the SSB apprehended him."
The officer said Brown's claims were still under verification. "No valid travel documents were found in his possession," Siddharth said, adding that a case had been registered under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
JORDAN BROWN CLAIMED TO HAVE SERVED IN US NAVY AND SPECIAL FORCES
The Times of India, citing Sonauli Station House Officer Mahendra Mishra, reported that Brown gave investigators contradictory statements about his identity, travel history and purpose of visiting Nepal.
According to the newspaper, Mishra said, "He 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 said that both his parents had passed away."
"The accused told police that he had served in the US Navy and Foreign Services until 2024," an unnamed police officer told The Print.
The Times of India reported that Brown claimed he had arrived in Goa from the US about two months ago, stayed there for nearly six weeks, travelled from Bengaluru to Lucknow by bus on July 8, proceeded to Gorakhpur and then hired a taxi to reach the Sonauli border.
According to the report, Brown told investigators he was travelling to Nepal to meet a Nepalese national identified only as "Naz", whom he claimed to have met in Goa. He also claimed that another acquaintance in Bengaluru was in possession of his passport but failed to provide verifiable details about the person.
The newspaper further reported that Brown claimed 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.
Brown has since been arrested and sent to jail, while the US Embassy has been informed, The Times of India reported. Further legal proceedings are underway.
