The lone American arrested along with six Ukrainians last week by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with alleged drone-warfare training, illegal border crossings and ties to armed groups near India’s North-East has been identified as Matthew VanDyke. His social media profiles show he has presented himself in many roles — calling himself an American spy, international security analyst, foreign fighter, media personality and documentary filmmaker.
Of particular note is his claim to be the founder of the non-profit Sons of Liberty International (SOLI).
VanDyke’s Wikipedia entry, a link to which he has shared on his X profile, says he “first gained fame during the Libyan Civil War as a foreign fighter on the side of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and as a prisoner of war.”
His X profile states: “Founder, Sons of Liberty International. Fought in Libya+Ukraine. Run covert ops in Venezuela. FREE IRAN. And more…”
The NIA has said the seven accused allegedly entered India illegally and imported drones from Europe for training. All seven were remanded in NIA custody on March 16 until March 27 by a special NIA court. The agency is investigating how they entered India — particularly how they accessed Mizoram, a restricted area for foreigners, and then crossed into neighbouring Myanmar.
Authorities are also probing those who provided logistical help for their travel within India and the subsequent crossing into Myanmar.
In a March 18 statement the NIA said the case is at an early stage and details will be shared at an appropriate time.
VanDyke was arrested at Kolkata airport on March 13. Three Ukrainian nationals were detained at Lucknow airport and the remaining three at Delhi airport the same day. They have been charged under relevant sections, including Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The US Embassy in India gave a muted response to VanDyke’s arrest, saying: “We are aware of the situation. However, for privacy reasons, we cannot comment on cases involving US citizens.”
The Ukrainian Embassy, however, criticised the arrests and sought consular access for its citizens. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed it received a request for consular access from Kyiv.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said relevant agencies are handling the matter according to domestic law and international obligations, ensuring the legal process is followed carefully.
In its detailed statement, the Ukrainian Embassy said that public information and media reports suggest the case may have been prompted by information from the Russian side and expressed concern that circumstances point to a possible orchestrated and politically motivated nature of the proceedings.
