With the arrest of seven foreign nationals in a major National Investigation Agency (NIA) crackdown, focus has shifted to the lone American among them, allegedly identified as Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, whose background and global activities are now under scrutiny.
According to reports, Van Dyke has been identified as the US national arrested in connection with the alleged conspiracy involving Myanmar-based ethnic armed groups and drone operations.
Arrest and case context
The accused Van Dyke was among seven foreign nationals, including six Ukrainians, arrested on March 16 in a coordinated operation across multiple Indian cities. Reportedly, he was detained at Kolkata airport by immigration authorities before being handed over to the NIA.
Investigators have alleged that the group travelled to Mizoram without required permits, crossed into Myanmar, and conducted training for ethnic armed groups linked to insurgent networks operating in India’s Northeast.
Background Van Dyke
Publicly available information reportedly describes Matthew Van Dyke as an American security analyst, filmmaker, and founder of an organisation called “Sons of Liberty International,” which has been involved in training and advisory roles in conflict zones. He has reportedly been associated with multiple international conflict areas, including Libya, Syria, Iraq and Ukraine, where he is said to have either participated directly or supported armed groups.
🚨🇮🇳🇺🇸US mercenary caught by India in terror crackdown: Who is Mathew VanDyke
India’s National Investigative Agency (NIA) arrested seven foreign nationals — six Ukrainians and one American — for training terrorists in Myanmar.
The American mercenary, Mathew VanDyke, has been… https://t.co/Z5o7Cy9NpV pic.twitter.com/wQrIPae4C6
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) March 17, 2026
According to claims circulating on social media, Van Dyke is said to have founded a private military outfit, “Sons of Liberty,” in 2011, which has allegedly operated across various conflict zones. The group has also reportedly been suspected of involvement in unrest in Iran in 2023.
I've been running covert operations with a Venezuelan rebel commander since 2019.
You've read about our missions in the media, such as Operation Aurora, but nobody knew who did it.
The Venezuelan team and I agreed to reveal this today.
We'll continue until #Venezuela is free. pic.twitter.com/OMyi0ay6Sm
— Matthew VanDyke (@Matt_VanDyke) January 10, 2025
He has further reportedly claimed to have supplied anti-drone technology to Ukrainian forces and lobbied US defence officials in this regard. His military credentials, however, have been questioned in some reports, despite his projection of links with veteran networks. Online, he is also said to have taken strong pro-war positions, including opposing peace negotiations in ongoing global conflicts.
