British police arrested a senior member of the US Army on Tuesday on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence. The 41-year-old man, who has not been named, was detained near the city of Gloucester in west England. He remains in custody at a London police station.
The Metropolitan Police stated that the suspect was arrested on suspicion of violating two sections of the National Security Act 2023, specifically for assisting a foreign intelligence service and obtaining or disclosing protected information. Police confirmed the allegations relate to Russia. Counter-terror forces from the Metropolitan Police worked closely with the FBI and the US military during the operation.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the arrest as an “important arrest" regarding allegations of espionage that are of “utmost concern” for the US and its allies. Patel stated, “This FBI has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States and whose actions endanger our national security and that of our partners."
Brigadier General Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, said the alleged conduct of a senior soldier entrusted with sensitive information is a "sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent."
While the arrest occurred shortly after the US removed refuelling aircraft from the Royal Air Force base in Mildenhall on Monday, police clarified that the arrest is not linked to any other ongoing counter-terrorism investigations. This includes a suspected terror plot linked to Iran in September at a US-run base in Britain, RAF Fairford, near Gloucester. Following that September threat, the US Air Force withdrew bombers from RAF Fairford that had been used to strike Iran during the Middle East conflict.
Searches were underway at two locations in Gloucestershire, a county approximately 90 miles (140 kilometers) west of London.
