American soldier arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia
The 41-year-old man is being detained in London under the U.K.'s National Security Act.
A senior soldier in the U.S. Army has been arrested in the U.K. on suspicion of spying for Russia, London's Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday evening.
The unnamed 41-year-old man was arrested near Gloucester, a city in western England, on Tuesday as part of an investigation by the U.K.'s Counter Terrorism Policing. British police worked with U.S. authorities, including the military and the FBI, in their investigations.
A senior NATO military official confirmed on Tuesday that the American service member was assigned to the military alliance's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC).
ARRC, headquartered in the English county of Gloucestershire, is a 3-star NATO headquarters with more than 400 permanent staff from more than 20 nations ready to deploy land forces where they are needed.
The individual at the center of the case, detained in London, is suspected of committing offenses under Sections 1 and 3 of the U.K.'s National Security Act.
Section 1 offenses relate to obtaining or disclosing protected information, while Section 3 involves assisting a foreign intelligence service.
The maximum penalty is life imprisonment for a Section 1 offense and 14 years' imprisonment for a Section 3 offense. A fine may also be imposed for either offense.
Police officers carrying out searches at two locations in Gloucestershire, the Metropolitan Police added.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on Tuesday evening that the allegations were "of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies."
"I want to send a clear message, 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," he said.
Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, said in a statement that "the alleged conduct of a senior solider, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent."
Authorities said Tuesday that the investigation is not related to any other ongoing Counter Terrorism Policing investigations.
On Oct. 27, British prosecutors said they had charged a man with assisting a foreign intelligence service over an incident at a military base used by the U.S. for strikes on Iran. The base in question, RAF Fairford, is in Gloucestershire, around 30 miles from ARRC's headquarters at Imjin Barracks.
