Daniel Duggan, a former US Marine pilot, will be extradited to the US due to allegations that he trained Chinese pilots illegally

Australia has authorized the extradition of former Marine Daniel Duggan, who is accused by the US of instructing Chinese pilots without the required permits.

Due to claims that he unlawfully trained Chinese pilots, former US Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan will be extradited to the US from Australia.

After nearly two years of evading repatriation to the United States, the 55-year-old Boston native’s extradition was accepted by Australia’s Attorney General Mark Dreyfus on Monday.

Duggan, who spent 12 years in the Marines before leaving the United States to go to Australia and renounce his U.S. citizenship, has been in a maximum-security jail since his arrest at his family’s home in the state of New South Wales in 2022. He is a father to six kids.

Dreyfus did not specify when Duggan would be sent to the United States, but he did announce in a statement on Monday that he had authorized the extradition.

The chance to offer arguments against his surrender to the United States was granted to Dugan. Dreyfus stated in the statement, “I considered all of the information that was presented to me when I came to my decision.

Duggan’s last chance to stay in Australia was to appeal to the attorney general after a Sydney judge decided in May that he could be extradited to the US.

Prosecutors alleged in a 2016 indictment from the US District Court in Washington, DC, which was made public in late 2022, that Duggan organized with others to train Chinese military pilots without obtaining the necessary license in 2010 and 2012, and potentially at later times.

According to the prosecution, he was paid approximately 88,000 Australian dollars ($61,000) and traveled abroad by another conspirator for what was occasionally referred to as “personal development training.”

Duggan may be imprisoned for up to 60 years if found guilty. He disputes the accusations.

His wife, Saffrine Duggan, issued a statement on Monday saying, “We feel let down by the Australian government and extremely disappointed that they have failed in their duty to protect an Australian family.” “At this point, we are weighing our options.”