Sashastra Seema Bal forces have detained former US soldier Jordan Brown from the Nepal border under suspicious circumstance in the Sonauli Kotwali area, which is located far away from the designated immigration route.
During interrogation, Brown has been reportedly giving contradicting statements about how he entered Indian territory. Authorities have informed the US embassy.
Reports revealed that Brown was nabbed while trying to cross to Nepal without valid travel documents. The American was spotted by an SSB jawan. Thought Brown tried to flee, he was finally caught with the help of local residents.
The incident came to light after a viral video taken by one of the villagers showed Brown staring into the camera. Later, he was arrested by Maharajganj police.
Interestingly, Brown did not have a passport, visa or any other ID cards. While questioning, he gave contradictory statements about how he arrived in India, the purpose of his visit and even his own identity, according to reports.
According to police, Brown is reportedly a native of California and has travelled across 70 countries. He also told the police that his studied at the University of California and served in the US Navy for six years. He added that he left the military service two years ago.
In one statement, the American claimed that he came to India from Bali in May, putting the duration of his stay in the country at two months without a passport.
However, the account of his arrival changed entirely in another statement. This time, Brown claimed that he arrived in Goa directly from the US around two months ago. He also said that he stayed in Goa for six weeks, before moving to Bengaluru. On July 8, he said he boarded a bus to Lucknow and from there to Gorakhpur. He said he reached Sonauli border by boarding a taxi.
When asked why he was trying to cross to Nepal, Brown said he was going to meet a person identified as Naz, a Nepalese man whom he got acquainted with in Goa.
Regarding his passport, he claimed that it was held by a person in Bengaluru.
In another statement, Brown said he had married an Indian yoga instructor from Uttarakhand in October 2024 after meeting her in Italy three years ago.
