Australian Court Upholds Extradition Order for U.S. Ex-Marine Daniel Duggan

An Australian judge has denied an appeal by Daniel Duggan, a former U.S. Marine Corps pilot, to avoid extradition to the United States. Duggan faces charges related to allegedly training Chinese military pilots without proper authorization.

Federal Court Justice James Stellios stated that no jurisdiction error was made in 2024 by then Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in ordering Duggan's extradition. Duggan’s wife, Saffrine Duggan, expressed disappointment with the ruling and indicated that his legal team would consider a further appeal.

She stated, "We are very disappointed by this ruling and we will consider our options carefully.

U.S. claims that Duggan broke arms-trafficking laws by providing military training to Chinese forces without the necessary permissions.

A 2016 indictment from the U.S. District Court in Washington, unsealed in late 2022, alleges that Duggan conspired with others to provide training to Chinese military pilots between 2010 and 2012, and possibly other times, without applying for an appropriate license. Duggan has 28 days to appeal the Federal Court decision, which also included an order for him to pay the government's costs.

Saffrine Duggan noted that the family has faced significant financial strain due to the ongoing legal battle, costing them about half a million dollars, compounded by an injunction on their home preventing its sale.