US Army Member Arrested Near Gloucester on Suspicion of Espionage Linked to Russia

A member of the US Army has been arrested near Gloucester on suspicion of espionage offences linked to Russia, British police said on Tuesday. The 41-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday, November 10, as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing working closely with US authorities, the US Military and the FBI. Police said the country to which the allegations relate is Russia.

The man was arrested on suspicion of offences under Section 1 and Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. He has been detained under the Act and remains in custody at a London police station. Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London are leading the investigation, and police said enquiries continue. The man has not been named in the statements released so far. The case is an arrest on suspicion, and the allegations have not been tested in court.

As part of the investigation, officers are carrying out searches at two locations in Gloucestershire. Counter Terrorism Policing said this investigation is not linked to any other ongoing Counter Terrorism Policing investigations.

What officials said

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: "This significant arrest and investigation is a result of close collaboration between UK and US authorities. The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing."

FBI Director Kash Patel said: "This important arrest involves allegations of espionage, which is of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies." Patel also said the FBI has made 167 counterintelligence and espionage arrests over the last 21 months, a 53 percent increase, and he thanked UK Counter Terrorism Policing, MI5, UK Defence Counter Intelligence and the US Army Counterintelligence Command for their work on the case.

Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, described the suspect as a senior soldier entrusted with sensitive information. He said: "The alleged conduct of a senior soldier, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent." Stinchon said the case showed the strength of the partnerships between the agencies involved, and he urged anyone who has seen something suspicious to report it to their local counterintelligence office.

A joint investigation

Reuters reported the same arrest on Tuesday. Reuters said British police had arrested a member of the US Army under the National Security Act over allegations that he was assisting Russia, that the man was arrested near the city of Gloucester, and that he remains in custody at a London police station. The Associated Press also carried the arrest in its news summary on Tuesday afternoon in the United States, under a headline about a US soldier arrested in Britain on suspicion of espionage linked to Russia.

Police released no name for the man on Tuesday. The investigation is led by Counter Terrorism Policing London, with enquiries continuing in Gloucestershire and the suspect held in London.