Ex-Marine pilot who renounced US citizenship faces arms control charges trends now
A former US Marine who renounced his American citizenship faces extradition from Australia to face federal charges that he illegally trained Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers.
Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, who was arrested in Australia in October and remains in custody, is accused of money laundering and breaking US arms control laws, according to a 2017 federal indictment unsealed last month.
Last week, the Australian Attorney-General's Department said it had approved a request from US authorities to extradite Duggan to face charges in the District of Columbia.
However, Duggan's attorney has previously indicated he plans to fight extradition, and the matter will come before an Australian judge next week.
Duggan, who reached the rank of major, flew Harrier jets in the US Marines before leaving the armed forces and moving to Australia, where he set up a company offering 'adventure flights'.
Daniel Duggan, 54, who was arrested in Australia in October and remains in custody, is accused of money laundering and breaking US arms control laws
According to the indictment 'Duggan provided military training to PRC (People's Republic of China) pilots' through a South African flight school on three occasions in 2010 and 2012, while he was a U.S. citizen.
The indictment alleges that, working with British and South African con-conspirators, Duggan helped obtain a T-2 Buckeye aircraft, used for training Marine and Navy pilots, under false pretenses.
The violations he is accused of also include providing aviation services in China, evaluating Chinese military pilot trainees, and instruction in landing on aircraft carriers.
He faces four U.S. charges, including conspiracy to export defense services to China, conspiracy to launder money, and violating the Arms Export Control Act.
Duggan's LinkedIn profile lists him as the managing director of AVIBIZ Limited, 'a comprehensive aviation consultancy company with a focus on the fast growing and dynamic Chinese aviation
