American ‘mercenary’ held in India: Who is Matthew VanDyke, the filmmaker-turned fighter who even fought against Gaddafi

An American national, Matthew VanDyke, has been arrested in India over alleged terror activities linked to insurgent training in Myanmar. VanDyke's name quickly sparked attention due to his past associations with several global conflicts and is widely regarded as an American mercenary.

VanDyke isn’t an unknown figure. A documentary filmmaker, former journalist, and self-styled activist, he has built a controversial reputation for inserting himself into global conflict zones — sometimes as an observer, other times as a participant.

He first grabbed headlines during the 2011 Libyan civil war, where he fought alongside anti-Gaddafi rebels. Captured during the conflict, he spent months imprisoned in Tripoli’s Abu Salim prison before reportedly escaping after the regime’s fall.


Since then, VanDyke has surfaced in multiple war zones. He has worked on the ground in Syria during the civil war and has openly acknowledged advising rebel fighters on weapons — a role critics say blurs the line between filmmaker and combatant.

In 2014, he founded Sons of Liberty International, an organisation that claims to train and support forces battling authoritarian regimes and terrorist groups. His activities, however, have drawn sharp criticism, with detractors calling him a “thrill-seeker” whose involvement risks lives and undermines journalistic ethics.

VanDyke has also been vocal online. In a recent post about tensions involving Iran and Venezuela, he criticised US military actions as “weak,” arguing that limited strikes only strengthen regimes rather than dismantle them.

In another explosive claim from 2025, he said he had been running covert operations with Venezuelan rebels since 2019 — planning missions and funding efforts aimed at toppling President Nicolás Maduro. He even suggested links to operations that had previously gone unattributed.

Despite backlash and setbacks — including a suspended crowdfunding campaign — VanDyke has continued to promote his work, often framing it as a mission to spotlight underreported conflicts and support resistance movements.

Supporters see him as a risk-taking storyteller driven by ideology. Critics see something else entirely — a man operating in the grey zone between activism, journalism, and warfare.

Now, with his reported arrest in India, that long-running controversy has taken a dramatic new turn.