U.S. Army soldier with top-secret clearance accused of spying for Russia
The U.S. Department of Justice seal. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
EL PASO, Texas - A U.S. Army soldier with top-secret clearance has been arrested on espionage charges after allegedly attempting to pass classified information about the M1A2 Abrams tank to Russia in exchange for citizenship.
What we know:
22-year-old Taylor Adam Lee of El Paso, Texas, was arrested today on charges of espionage and export violations.
According to court documents, Lee is an active-duty service member in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bliss, and holds a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance.
Allegedly offered assistance to the Russian Federation
Lee sought to establish his U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. From approximately May 2025 through the present.
In June 2025, Lee allegedly transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation, stating, "The USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses," and added, "At this point, I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian Federation when I’m there in any way."
"Mission accomplished"
In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and someone who he believed to be a representative of the Russian government, Lee allegedly passed an SD card to the individual.
Lee proceeded to provide a detailed overview of the documents and information contained on the SD card, including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations.
Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide. Other documents on the SD card were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and featured banner warnings and dissemination controls.
Throughout the meeting, Lee stated that the information on the SD card was sensitive and likely classified.
During and after the July meeting, Lee discussed obtaining and providing to the Russian government a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank.
On July 31, 2025, Lee delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso, Texas.
After doing so, Lee sent a message to the individual he believed to be a representative of the Russian government stating, "Mission accomplished."
Government officials on Lee's charges
What they're saying:
"According to the criminal complaint, the defendant sought to transmit sensitive national defense information to Russia regarding the operation of the M1A2 Abrams, our nation’s main battle tank," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
"The National Security Division will continue to work with our law enforcement and military partners to ensure that such serious transgressions are met with serious consequences."
FBI officials on the charges
"Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States in favor of providing national defense information to the Russian government," said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
"The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. national security and bring to justice those who seek to undermine it."
Classified military information in exchange for Russian citizenship
"The FBI’s investigation revealed Taylor Lee allegedly attempted to provide classified military information on U.S. tank vulnerabilities to a person he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer in exchange for Russian citizenship," said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.
"Today’s arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S., especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information."
What's next:
The FBI Washington and El Paso Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the United States Department of Justice.