Former US Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan will be extradited from Australia to the United States to face allegations that he unlawfully trained Chinese military pilots. The decision marks the culmination of Duggan’s nearly two-year legal battle to remain in Australia.

Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfus approved the extradition on Monday. In a statement, Dreyfus said Duggan had been given the opportunity to present reasons against his extradition but concluded that all material had been carefully considered before making the decision. The exact timing of Duggan’s transfer to the US remains undisclosed.

Born in Boston, the 55-year-old Duggan served in the US Marine Corps for 12 years before immigrating to Australia and relinquishing his US citizenship. He was arrested in 2022 at his home in New South Wales and has been held in maximum-security detention ever since. Duggan, a father of six, had fought extradition through Australian courts.

In May, a Sydney judge ruled in favor of Duggan’s extradition, leaving the final decision in the hands of the attorney general.

Duggan is accused of conspiring to provide military training to Chinese aviators in 2010, 2012, and possibly at other times, without obtaining the required licenses. According to a 2016 indictment unsealed last year by the US District Court in Washington, DC, Duggan allegedly received payments amounting to approximately 88,000 Australian dollars (USD $61,000) and international travel for what was described as “personal development training.”

The case underscores growing concerns about the transfer of military expertise to foreign powers and raises questions about international enforcement of laws regulating such activities. Duggan’s extradition is expected to bring further scrutiny to similar cases involving military veterans and foreign governments.