An American national has emerged at the center of a widening counterterrorism investigation in India, according to multiple Indian media reports. Indian authorities say Matthew VanDyke is among seven foreign nationals arrested in connection with alleged militant training activities in neighboring Myanmar.
India’s National Investigation Agency alleges that VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals were part of a network that provided training to insurgent groups operating near India’s northeastern borders. Officials cited in Indian local reports claim the activities included drone warfare instruction, unauthorized cross-border movement, and suspected links to armed groups active in the region. The investigation remains ongoing.
VanDyke, 46, has an academic background and has spent much of the past two decades traveling across North Africa and West Asia, beginning around 2007. Prior to that, he studied the Arab world at the University of Maryland. He later earned a master’s degree in security studies from Georgetown University, according to Indian media reports.
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He has described himself as a security analyst, war correspondent, and documentary filmmaker, with a career shaped by time in conflict zones. He first drew international attention during the 2011 Libyan Civil War, when he joined anti-government rebel forces opposing Muammar Gaddafi. During that time, he was captured in Brega in March 2011 and held in solitary confinement before escaping months later, according to reports.
VanDyke later founded Sons of Liberty International, a group that says it provides military training and strategic guidance in conflict zones. He has said the killings of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff by Islamic State militants in Syria influenced his decision to establish the organization.
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, VanDyke has also said he worked as a war correspondent for The Baltimore Examiner in 2009. Indian media reports, citing investigative sources, allege that he previously failed a polygraph test administered by the Central Intelligence Agency and was detained multiple times by Iraqi authorities between 2008 and 2010. These claims have not been independently verified.
According to Indian reports, VanDyke was arrested in Kolkata, while three Ukrainian nationals were detained in Lucknow and another three in New Delhi. All seven were later produced before the Patiala House Court.
The NIA sought 15 days of custody to investigate the alleged conspiracy, trace travel routes, and identify other associates. The court granted 11 days of custody, and the accused are scheduled to be produced again on March 27.
Investigators allege the group traveled to Guwahati and then to Mizoram without required documentation before crossing illegally into Myanmar. Officials cited in Indian media reports say the group’s objective was to conduct pre-arranged drone warfare training sessions for ethnic armed groups in the region.
So far, there has been no detailed response from Washington. The U.S. Embassy in India has said it is aware of the case but declined further comment, citing privacy rules. The U.S. Department of State has not issued a public statement.