Texas: Army soldier arrested and charged with espionage for attempting to share secret, sensitive U.S. information to Russia

An active-duty US Army soldier, Taylor Adam Lee, 22, was arrested Wednesday in El Paso, Texas, accused of attempting to transmit classified information about the M1A2 Abrams tank to an alleged representative of the Russian government.

Lee, stationed at Fort Bliss and with a Top Secret (TS) and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance, faces federal charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and export of controlled technical data without a license.

According to the official statement from the Department of Justice (DOJ), since May of this year, Lee sought to establish his military credentials to send sensitive information to the Russian Ministry of Defense. In June, he allegedly shared online controlled technical data about the M1A2 Abrams, the US main battle tank, and expressed his willingness to collaborate with Russia, stating:

“The USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses. I'd even volunteer to assist the Russian Federation when I’m there in any way.”

According to the DOJ, in July, during a face-to-face meeting, Lee handed over an SD card with sensitive documents, some marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), that included details about the tank, another armored vehicle, and combat operations.

He was interacting with covert U.S. counterintelligence agents

Then, during that same month, Lee carried out a further step in his plan by delivering what appeared to be a piece of M1A2 Abrams hardware to a warehouse in El Paso, then sending a message that read "Mission Accomplished" to whom he believed was a Russian contact, but, in reality, he was interacting with covert authorities.

The FBI, with support from the Army Counterintelligence Command, led the investigation that culminated in his arrest.

The Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, stressed the seriousness of the case, stating that Lee attempted to transmit sensitive information that could compromise national security.

For his part, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons of the Western District of Texas underscored the DOJ's commitment to pursuing those who threaten U.S. security, while FBI Deputy Director Roman Rozhavsky sent a clear message: "Today's arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S.—especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland.”

The investigation, conducted by the FBI's Washington and El Paso offices, will continue with the relevant investigations and follow through with the due process of the case.