Soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas arrested for spying for Russia

Private Taylor Adam Lee, 22, was accused of trying to leak secrets to the Kremlin in exchange for Russian citizenship. An active-duty member of the Army stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, he had reportedly tried several times since May to send defense information to the Russian Defense Ministry, according to the Justice Department.

In June, Lee reportedly sent information about U.S. tanks over the Internet. Specifically, the M1A2 Abrams:

"The USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses," he allegedly also wrote, adding, "At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way."

The following month, the Texas native soldier reportedly met face-to-face with someone he believed represented Vladimir Putin's regime. According to the DOJ, Lee then allegedly handed him an SD card. In addition to assuring that it contained information on armored vehicles and combat operations, the detainee acknowledged that its contents were sensitive and probably classified.

On July 31, Lee allegedly deposited a specific component of the M1A2 Abrams tank in a storage unit in El Paso. He is said to have then sent a text to his alleged Russian liaison, "Mission accomplished."

"Today’s arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S. – especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland," said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. "The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information."

From the Army Counterintelligence Command they stated that any soldier who violated his oath would be brought to justice, and asked any uniformed personnel who detected any suspicious activity to report it.