Who is Matthew VanDyke? All We Know About The American Fighter-Filmmaker Now in NIA Custody
An American national, Matthew VanDyke has emerged at the centre of a high-stakes terror investigation in India, with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arresting him along with six Ukrainian nationals. Authorities allege the group was involved in insurgent training operations in Myanmar, including drone warfare exercises, illegal cross-border movement, and potential links to armed groups active along India’s sensitive northeastern frontier.
Born in Baltimore, educated at Georgetown, VanDyke has spent his adult life in the world's most dangerous conflict zones - camera in one hand, rifle in the other.
Here’s a closer look.
Who is Matthew VanDyke?
VanDyke holds a master’s degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University. He is a security analyst, combat veteran, documentary filmmaker, and founder of Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), a non-profit providing tactical training to groups fighting authoritarian regimes.
How did he first become known?
VanDyke first gained prominence during the 2011 Libyan Civil War, joining rebel forces fighting against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. He survived an ambush, was shot, and spent six months in solitary confinement across two of Gaddafi's notorious prisons before being freed when Tripoli fell.
What films has he made?
His most celebrated work is Point and Shoot (2014), which won Best Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival, built from his own footage as a prisoner and fighter in Libya. He also directed Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution (2013) about Syria's civil war, and worked as cinematographer on Jim: The James Foley Story (2016), about his close friend and journalist James Foley.
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What is SOLI?
VanDyke joined the fight against ISIS even before the US army got involved in ground operations, training Assyrian Christian fighters in Iraq through SOLI.
Was he interested in traveling?
Inspired by Australian adventurer Alby Mangels, VanDyke spent four years from 2007 to 2010 motorcycling through North Africa and the Middle East, embedding with US military and filming his adventures.
Why is he arrested in India?
VanDyke was arrested in Kolkata on March 13, 2026, by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA). He was detained alongside six Ukrainian nationals as part of a major counter-terrorism investigation. He remains in NIA custody as of March 18, 2026, with investigations ongoing.
(With inputs from yMedia)