After nearly two years of legal battles, former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan is set to be extradited from Australia to the United States. The extradition was approved by Australia’s Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus, following allegations that Duggan illegally trained Chinese aviators.
Duggan, a 55-year-old Boston-born individual who served in the Marines for 12 years before immigrating to Australia and relinquishing his U.S. citizenship, has been detained in a maximum-security prison since his arrest in 2022 at his family home in New South Wales. He is a father of six children.
The Attorney General confirmed the extradition approval on Monday, stating that Duggan had the opportunity to present reasons why he should not be surrendered to the U.S. Dreyfus considered all relevant information before making the decision.
In May, a judge in Sydney ruled that Duggan could be extradited, leaving the appeal to the attorney general as his final recourse to remain in Australia.
According to a 2016 indictment from the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., unsealed in late 2022, Duggan allegedly conspired with others to provide training to Chinese military pilots in 2010 and 2012 without obtaining the necessary license. Prosecutors claim that Duggan received payments totaling approximately 88,000 Australian dollars ($61,000) and international travel for what was described as “personal development training.”
If convicted, Duggan could face up to 60 years in prison. However, he denies the allegations.
His wife, Saffrine Duggan, expressed disappointment in the Australian government's decision, stating that they feel abandoned and are now exploring their options.
