US Citizen Apprehended at India-Nepal Border for Illegal Entry
An American national has been detained by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) near the India-Nepal border for entering India without valid travel documents, according to officials.
The individual, identified as Jordan Brown, a U.S. citizen from California, was apprehended on July 11 near Sonauli, a border town in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district. Additional Superintendent of Police (Maharajganj) Siddharth confirmed the arrest, stating that Brown had entered India via a sea route in November 2025 and had been residing in Goa since then.
During questioning, Brown told authorities that he had travelled to Thailand on a tourist visa, where he lost his passport. He then made his way to Sri Lanka by sea, and from there to India on November 2, 2025. He was attempting to cross into Nepal when SSB personnel intercepted him, the official said. No valid travel documents were found in Brown's possession.
Police have registered a case against him at the Sonauli Police Station under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act and the Foreigners Act, which penalise unauthorised entry into India. Brown's claims are being verified, and further legal proceedings are underway.
In a separate case, five Ukrainian nationals and one American national, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), were produced before the Patiala House Court in Delhi on July 3. The NIA alleges that the six individuals entered India on tourist visas and then travelled through Mizoram into Myanmar, where they provided training in drone warfare and other military techniques to ethnic armed groups operating against the Myanmar military junta. The accused are currently in judicial custody as investigations continue.
