Highlights:
- US citizen Jordan Brown was arrested near the India-Nepal border.
- He allegedly had no valid passport or visa to enter Nepal.
- Police are verifying his claims of serving in the US military.
- Brown said he has been living in Goa since November 2025.
- He claimed he married an Indian woman in October 2024.
A 36-year-old US citizen, Jordan Brown, was arrested near the India-Nepal border in India's Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district on Saturday (11) pillar number 516 in the Mainihwa area under the Sonauli police station limits.
During questioning, Brown was unable to produce a valid passport or visa required for entry into Nepal. He was taken into custody and later handed over to the local police for further investigation.
According to police, Brown identified himself as a resident of California. He claimed that he had studied at the University of California and had served in the US Navy and the US Special Forces for six years. He also said he left military service around two years ago and married an Indian woman in 2024. Officials said these claims are still being independently verified.
Maharajganj Additional Superintendent of Police Siddharth said, "Yesterday, on July 11, the SSB apprehended an individual near Sonauli for attempting to enter Nepal without authorisation. Upon questioning, he identified himself as Jordan Brown and stated that he is a US citizen from California."
Investigators said Brown told them he had traveled to Thailand on a tourist visa, where he allegedly lost his passport. He claimed he had visited nearly 70 countries before arriving in India after traveling through Bali, Indonesia.
Additional Superintendent of Police Atish Kumar Singh said, "He subsequently reached Sri Lanka via a sea route and arrived in India from there by sea on 2 November, 2025. Since then, he had been residing in Goa."
Police said Brown stayed in Goa for nearly seven months without a passport. He later traveled to Bengaluru before heading to the Sonauli border, where he was allegedly attempting to cross into Nepal. Brown also told investigators that both of his parents had died some time ago.
During a search, Indian para military force personnel recovered in cash $366 in Indian rupees and two mobile phones, according to PTI. Other reports said officials also found a Chinese passport, a mobile phone, an AI translator device, Nepalese currency, religious books, a diary, a wristwatch, and other personal belongings. Authorities have not yet confirmed the authenticity or ownership of all the recovered items.
According to reports, Brown said he was traveling to Nepal to meet a Nepalese citizen named "Naz," whom he had met while living in Goa. He also claimed that his US passport was with one of his acquaintances in Bengaluru.
Brown further told investigators that he met an Indian woman from Uttarakhand, who works as a yoga instructor, in Italy about three years ago. He claimed the two got married in October 2024.
The investigation is ongoing as Indian authorities continue to verify Brown's identity, travel history, military background, and the documents recovered during his arrest.
