VanDyke and his associates were active in regions where even Indian citizens are required to obtain special permits to enter.
Published: March 17, 2026 11:12 PM IST
Detained at Kolkata, Lucknow, and Delhi airports
He was detained by the Bureau of Immigration at Kolkata Airport. Three Ukrainians each were intercepted at Lucknow and Delhi airports. All of them had entered India on tourist visas. They travelled to Guwahati, then proceeded to Mizoram, where they entered a restricted area without permission.A tourist straying into a restricted zone, such things happen. However, the NIA alleges that their true objective was to provide training to insurgent groups in Myanmar, enabling them to carry out attacks in Northeast India. And there are many more details to the story.Add India.com as a Preferred Source
Rose to prominence during Libyan Civil War
VanDyke first rose to prominence during the Libyan Civil War. He fought alongside the rebels against Muammar Gaddafi as a foreign combatant and was subsequently taken prisoner of war. In 2011, he entered Libya illegally. He joined forces with the rebels, survived an ambush in which he was shot, and subsequently spent six months in solitary confinement across two of Gaddafi’s notorious prisons. Most people would view such an ordeal as a sign to turn their lives around; VanDyke, however, viewed it as an internship.The CIA aspect is the most intriguing and convoluted part of his story. He studied Security Studies at Georgetown University. Most of his classmates went on to join the CIA, the FBI, the Department of Defense, the State Department, or various think tanks. He, too, wanted to join that club.Almost joined CIA
He advanced quite far in the CIA’s recruitment process. He took analytical tests. He underwent drug testing. He underwent psychological evaluations. He met with potential bosses and colleagues at the headquarters in Langley. However, he became extremely nervous during the polygraph test. The results were inconclusive. He failed the lie-detector test.From Libya to Syria
After Libya, he went to Syria. There, he produced a documentary film and provided advice on weaponry to the rebels. The Assad government declared him a terrorist. After Syria, he travelled to Iraq. In 2014, deeply affected by the murder of his journalist friends—James Foley and Steven Sotloff—at the hands of ISIS, he founded an organization called Sons of Liberty International.Sons of Liberty International bills itself as the world’s first non-profit military contracting firm. It offers free security advice and training to vulnerable communities—”free,” that is, courtesy of donor funds.To Ukraine, then India’s neighbour Myanmar
Vandyke and his organization have been active in Ukraine since March 2022. They are assisting the Ukrainian military in its fight against Russia. Their involvement went beyond mere consultation; Vandyke himself enlisted in the Ukrainian armed forces and fought in combat. By late 2025, his rhetoric had expanded beyond Ukraine to encompass Russia’s global allies. And this is where the narrative converges with Myanmar—a nation situated in close proximity to India’s Northeast region.Illegally entering India
It is alleged that this group illegally entered India through the restricted border zones of Mizoram, subsequently crossing into Myanmar. There, they reportedly collaborated with various ethnic armed organizations that maintain ties with insurgent groups operating in India’s Northeast. This sensitive region is already rife with numerous insurgent factions—both large and small—that operate across borders, often along ethnic lines.Moving drones from Europe through India and onward to Myanmar
Vandyke and his team also face allegations of having imported a significant number of drones from Europe. This development has heightened concerns regarding the networks facilitating proxy warfare—specifically, the movement of drones from Europe, through India, and onward to Myanmar. A tourist visa has rarely been put to such extensive use. It is also believed that these drones will not be deployed solely against the Myanmar military.Arrest by NIA
His arrest by the NIA does not prove that VanDyke is a CIA agent; there is no public evidence to support such a claim. VanDyke himself has consistently denied this, although he admits that he came close to joining the agency. However, this situation certainly highlights a broader—and far more dangerous—phenomenon: an individual whose personal ideology aligns perfectly with U.S. strategic interests in every conflict zone he enters. He operates just outside official channels, thereby providing Washington with plausible deniability while simultaneously training insurgent groups.This arrest serves as a warning to India’s security agencies. VanDyke and his associates were active in regions where even Indian citizens are required to obtain special permits to enter. It also sends a clear message: India will not allow its soil to become a staging ground for foreign proxy wars, regardless of the underlying cause.Source link
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