US Army senior soldier, 41, arrested near Gloucester on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence

In brief

• A 41-year-old senior US Army member was arrested near Gloucester, England, on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence.
• He is held in London under the National Security Act, and two Gloucestershire addresses were searched.
• The inquiry was run by UK counter-terrorism police together with US authorities, the US military and the FBI.

Arrest near Gloucester

British police arrested a 41-year-old man near the city of Gloucester, in western England, on Tuesday, 10 November. The suspect is a member of the US Army, the Metropolitan Police confirmed in a statement (US soldier arrested in Britain on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence – France 24) (Senior U.S. Army soldier arrested in U.K. on suspicion of working with Russian intelligence – NBCNews.com). Counter Terrorism Policing led the investigation and said the detention was linked to the Russian state (UK counter-terrorism police arrest member of US army with alleged links to Russia – The Guardian).

Legal grounds

The man was held under suspicion of breaching the National Security Act, specifically sections 1 and 3, which deal with unlawfully gaining or passing on protected material and with helping a foreign spy service (У Британії заарештували військового армії США, підозрюваного у шпигунстві для Росії – Європейська правда). Police said the country linked to the allegations is Russia. Police described the allegations as serious and said the inquiry is ongoing.

Searches and custody

Officers carried out searches at two addresses in Gloucestershire as part of the investigation. The suspect is being held at a police station in London. Police said the arrest was not connected to other counter-terror investigations.

Reaction from US and UK officials

FBI Director Kash Patel said the case involves allegations of espionage that are of serious concern to Washington and its allies, and that the bureau will not tolerate people who break their oath to the United States. Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, commander of the US Army Counterintelligence Command, referred to a senior soldier accused of misconduct and said the case showed the strength of cooperation between the two countries.

Context

The area around Gloucester and Cheltenham hosts several US military and intelligence sites, including the RAF Fairford air base.