A 41-year-old senior U.S. Army soldier was arrested in England on Tuesday on suspicion of espionage linked to Russia, British police said. His identity has not been released.
The arrest was part of an investigation into potential national security threats led by London’s Counter Terrorism Policing team. It was carried out in coordination with the U.S. military and the FBI.
Police detained the soldier near Gloucester under the National Security Act 2023. He remains in custody at a London police station, while officers search two sites in the wider Gloucestershire area.
FBI Director Kash Patel called the allegations a serious concern for the United States and its allies. He said the bureau would not tolerate service members whose actions violate their oath or threaten national security.
Patel said the FBI had made at least 167 counterintelligence and espionage arrests under its current leadership in the past 21 months, a 53% increase. He also thanked British counterterrorism police, MI5, UK Defence Counter Intelligence and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command for their work on the investigation.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, described the allegations as serious and said authorities would take firm action against suspected criminal activity that could threaten national security.
Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, who leads the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, said the case was a reminder that insider threats remain a real concern, particularly when sensitive information is entrusted to senior personnel.
The investigation is ongoing and is being led by London’s Counter Terrorism Policing team.
