NEW DELHI- Successive reports involving foreign nationals with alleged military backgrounds operating in and around India have raised concerns over border security, cross-border networks and the possible use of the region as a transit route.
The latest incident involves the reported detention of a California resident who claimed to have served in the U.S. Navy while allegedly attempting to cross into Nepal without travel documents. It came four months after the arrest of an American allegedly involved in military training and six Ukrainian nationals.
In another, unconnected incident, the unexplained death of Terrence Arvelle Jackson, a serving officer with the U.S. Army’s elite 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), at a five-star hotel in Dhaka on August 31 last year became the subject of media speculation over his activities in the region.
According to a report in Bangladesh’s Weekly Blitz last September, authorities in Dhaka initially suggested that Jackson had died of natural causes.
But “the secrecy surrounding the removal of his body, the confiscation of his belongings by US Embassy officials, and his covert activities in the country suggest a far deeper and more troubling narrative,” the report claimed.
Jackson has been described as a military trainer who supervised army exercises at Bangladesh’s Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal.
The incidents may be isolated and apparently unconnected, but have raised concerns amid regional uncertainty and volatility. Experts say they underscore the need for tighter vetting, intelligence-sharing and border controls, as well as transparent investigations.
In the latest incident, U.S. national Jordan Brown was detained by India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) near Sonauli in Uttar Pradesh while allegedly attempting to cross into Nepal without travel documents. He claimed prior service with the U.S. Navy and Special Forces.
Authorities recovered cash, phones and other items, while Brown could not produce documents to corroborate his claim of military service. He is being investigated under the Foreigners Act, according to reports.
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In the March incident, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended U.S. citizen Matthew Aaron VanDyke, an alleged military warfare trainer, and six Ukrainian nationals at airports in Kolkata, Delhi and Lucknow.
VanDyke was booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as part of an NIA investigation into alleged links with insurgent groups operating in Myanmar. He is currently in judicial custody at Tihar Jail in New Delhi, with court proceedings in the case ongoing.
VanDyke reportedly gained prominence during the Libyan Civil War in 2011, where he fought alongside rebels and was later imprisoned. He subsequently founded Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), an organization that reportedly provides military training and strategic advice to armed groups in conflict zones.
Investigators claim VanDyke and the Ukrainian nationals used India as a transit route to Myanmar in 2025 and 2026 to deliver drones and train ethnic armed groups. Seized devices reportedly contained photos and videos of drone training sessions. (IANS)
with IW
