Former Air Force Pilot Arrested for Training China

The Arrest

The Justice Department says Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, after federal agents accused him of training pilots for the Chinese military. Brown is a 24 year Air Force veteran and a former F-35 instructor. Authorities say he traveled to China in 2023 and met with Chinese military officials. He faces criminal charges for providing defense services to a foreign military without the required State Department license under the Arms Export Control Act.

What the Charges Say

According to the criminal complaint, the alleged conduct started in or around August 2023 and involved cooperation with both foreign nationals and U.S. persons. The government treats tactical flight instruction for another country as a controlled defense service under ITAR rules. The complaint says Brown lacked a license from the State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, which the government says is required before a U.S. person may train foreign military personnel.

What Officials Are Saying

Department of Justice and FBI officials framed the arrest as a national security matter. The DOJ emphasized the legal line between permissible work and licensed defense services. The FBI warned that foreign governments try to use U.S. military expertise to improve their forces. Those statements read like a reminder that rules matter even after uniform service ends, and that the government plans to enforce those rules.

Evidence and Timeline

The complaint says Brown was questioned on his first day in China and prepared a personal brief for the People s Liberation Army Air Force. Investigators pointed to those interactions as part of the basis for charging him with conspiracy and providing defense services. Multiple FBI field offices and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are involved, which signals a coordinated counterintelligence effort rather than a routine criminal case.

Procedural Steps Ahead

Brown is scheduled for an initial appearance before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Indiana. The case is in early stages and described as developing. Expect the government to focus on licensing violations and whether the training materially aided a foreign military. Courts will sort the evidence, and prosecutors will decide how aggressively to pursue penalties under the Arms Export Control Act.

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