What Happened
The Justice Department announced that Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization. Federal prosecutors say Brown traveled to China around August 2023 and offered combat aircraft training to pilots in the People s Liberation Army Air Force, conduct that falls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and requires a State Department license.
Why This Is Serious
Training foreign military pilots in combat operations is not simple classroom work. It is classified as a defense service under U.S. export controls. The Arms Export Control Act makes clear that U.S. persons must obtain a license before sharing that kind of expertise with foreign militaries. The DOJ and FBI stress that such help can strengthen a rival military and put American service members at greater risk.
Officials Weighed In
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg emphasized that the Air Force trained Major Brown to defend the nation and that providing military training to foreign forces without a license is illegal. FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky added that China often seeks out expertise from current and former U.S. service members to upgrade its military. The agencies framed the arrest as a warning that they will hold accountable anyone who helps adversaries gain dangerous advantages.
What the Complaint Alleges
The criminal complaint says Brown was questioned for hours about the U.S. Air Force when he first arrived in China and that he prepared a presentation about himself for the People s Liberation Army Air Force. Authorities allege Brown conspired with foreign nationals and U.S. persons to provide combat aircraft training starting in or around August 2023 without the required license from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.
Ongoing Case and Next Steps
Brown was arrested on a criminal complaint and is set for an initial appearance in the Southern District of Indiana. The FBI s New York, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles field offices along with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are part of the probe. Federal prosecutors say the investigation is ongoing.
Major story… the FBI and our partners have arrested a former U.S. Air Force Pilot who was allegedly training pilots in the Chinese military pic.twitter.com/Y7razDr16y
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 26, 2026
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JIMMY
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