Senior U.S. Army Soldier Arrested in Britain on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
British counterterrorism police have arrested a 41-year-old U.S. Army soldier near Gloucester, England, on suspicion of spying for Russia.
The soldier was arrested Tuesday under sections one and three of Britain’s National Security Act 2023, the Metropolitan Police said. Officers searched two locations in Gloucestershire, and the police said “the country to which the allegations relate is Russia.”
Section one covers obtaining or disclosing protected information, and section three covers assisting a foreign intelligence service, the BBC reported. The BBC said it understands the soldier was based at Imjin Barracks in Innsworth, headquarters of NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
The suspect is a member of the U.S. Army assigned to a NATO unit, the Associated Press reported. The Washington Post described him as an Army officer suspected of trying to steal secret information from a NATO installation and pass it to Russia.
The soldier has not been named or charged. The law allows police to hold him without charge for up to 14 days, and he remains in custody at a London police station.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrest “involves allegations of espionage, which is of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies.”
“While this investigation is continuing, I want to send a clear message – this FBI has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States and whose actions endanger our national security,” Patel said in the police release.
Patel added that the FBI has made 167 counterintelligence and espionage arrests over the last 21 months, which he called a 53% increase. He thanked MI5, British counterterrorism police and Army Counterintelligence Command.
Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, who leads U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, said the case shows “insider threats are real and persistent.” He urged anyone who sees something suspicious to report it to a local counterintelligence office.
“The alleged conduct of a senior soldier, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder,” Stinchon said.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans of Counter Terrorism Policing called the arrest “significant” and the result of close work between British and American authorities. “The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing,” she said.
Police said the case is not linked to any other ongoing counterterrorism investigation.
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