American citizen detained by Indias SSB for crossing India-Nepal border for without valid documents
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel arrested the US citizen during a routine patrol in the Mainihwa area under the Sonauli police station limits in UP's Maharajganj district.
PTC News Desk: An American citizen who claims to be a former US Navy and Special Forces servicemen has been detained at India-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh while allegedly trying to cross into Nepal without holding valid documents.
Authorities are now verifying his identity and investigating his claims about how he entered India.
According to media reports, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel arrested the US citizen during a routine patrol in the Mainihwa area under the Sonauli police station limits in UP's Maharajganj district.
The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has identified the man as Jordan Brown, 36, who claimed to be a resident of California in the United States.
Officials said Brown had travelled from Bengaluru to the Sonauli border and was allegedly trying to enter Nepal when SSB personnel stopped him for routine verification. According to PTI, Brown tried to run away after being questioned, but security personnel chased him and arrested him.
Videos shared on social media show Brown with a rope tied around his leg being escorted by SSB personnel as a crowd of local people watched.
His arrest comes a few months after another American, Matthew VanDyke, was detained near the Myanmar border along with six Ukrainian nationals. During the search, SSB personnel recovered Rs 31,460 in cash and two mobile phones from Brown.
Officials said Brown could not produce a passport, visa, or any other valid documents allowing him to stay in India or travel to Nepal.
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."