Ashley J. Tellis, a well-known Indian-American foreign policy specialist and former US State Department adviser, was detained on suspicion of meeting with Chinese officials and illegally keeping classified national defense material.
According to court filings in Virginia, the 64-year-old strategist, regarded as one of the leading experts on India-US relations, was arrested following a federal investigation.
Tellis is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of Virginia on October 13 for allegedly breaking federal laws about the illegal possession and storage of national defense materials. According to the prosecution, Tellis met with Chinese government representatives on several occasions between 2022 and 2025 to discuss sensitive geopolitical issues, including the US-Pakistan relationship and Iran-China relations.
On September 15, 2022, in Fairfax, Virginia, during one such meeting, Tellis was observed carrying a manila envelope into a restaurant that did not seem to be in his possession when he left, according to the affidavit.
Who Is Ashley Tellis?
Ashley Tellis has roots in India, but he has spent over two decades in Washington’s policy-making process. Since joining the State Department in 2001, he has served under multiple US administrations, including George W. Bush and Donald Trump.
Tellis, being a senior fellow and Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, was instrumental in the 2008 India-US civil nuclear deal, which was widely regarded as a watershed in the two countries' bilateral ties.
Tellis has also been a prominent analyst on the defense and trade relations between the US and India. He told NDTV in 2025, when tensions were high over tariff disputes, that President Trump "felt cheated" because he wasn't given credit for ending the India-Pakistan conflict earlier that year.
If found guilty, Tellis could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of USD 250,000. The US State Department has confirmed his arrest but refrained from sharing details, citing the ongoing investigation.
