NEW DELHI: Central intelligence agencies are questioning an American national detained without a passport near the India-Nepal border, officials said Tuesday, while examining whether he has any connection to a separate case involving foreign nationals accused of training armed groups in Myanmar. Investigators are also probing how the arrested US citizen got a Chinese passport.
The American, identified as Jordan Brown, 36, of California, was arrested on July 11 by the SSB near border pillar 516 in the Mainihwa area of Maharajganj district, close to Sonauli crossing into Nepal, Maharajganj Additional Superintendent of Police Siddharth said.
Authorities alleged Brown attempted to flee when personnel stopped him for a document check but was caught with the help of local villagers. The incident was recorded on video.
Police recovered Rs 31,460, two mobile phones, Nepalese currency, religious texts, an AI translation device, a diary, a wristwatch and a Chinese passport from Brown.
Agencies are trying to unravel how Brown obtained the Chinese passport and are examining whether he has links to the Myanmar case, including whether he got the document there. A case was registered earlier, involving arrested US national VanDyke and six Ukrainians accused of training representatives of Kuki-Chin Army in Myanmar.
Police registered a case against Brown at Sonauli police station for entering India without valid travel documents. During questioning, Brown said he travelled to Thailand, lost his passport, reached Sri Lanka, entered India by sea on November 2, 2025, lived in Goa, and later went to the border.
He gave conflicting accounts of his identity and purpose, citing marriage to an Indian yoga instructor and a planned meeting in Nepal. Brown also claimed that he studied at the University of California and served six years in the US Navy. Officials said the US embassy has been informed.
