The US Department of Justice announced on 6/8 that an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss has been arrested on criminal charges, including attempting to transmit national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempting to export controlled technical data without a license.
Federal prosecutors said that the suspect, Taylor Adam Lee, who had access to top-secret information, offered in June to assist Russia and transmit technical information about the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank online.
"America has been displeased with my attempts to expose their weaknesses. At this point, I'm willing to volunteer my assistance to Russia in any capacity, once I get there," Lee allegedly wrote online.
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A US M1A2 Abrams tank at a training ground in Poland in July. Photo: US Army |
A US M1A2 Abrams tank at a training ground in Poland in July. Photo: US Army
According to prosecutors, Lee then attempted to provide sensitive information about the tank's vulnerabilities to someone he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent. In late July, the soldier brought what appeared to be tank components to a storage facility in El Paso, Texas, and then messaged the "Russian agent" to say he had completed the task.
The US government has requested that the soldier be detained without bail, according to court documents. The Department of Justice said Lee made his initial appearance in federal court on 6/8, and it is unclear whether he has retained an attorney.
Roman Rozhavsky, deputy assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Counterintelligence Division, said Lee wanted to leak the information to Moscow in exchange for Russian citizenship. "Today’s arrest serves as a message to anyone who would betray the United States, especially those entrusted with our nation’s defense," Rozhavsky said.
Sean Stinchon, commander of the US Army Counterintelligence Command, called it a "stark reminder of the serious threat" the force faces.
Russian officials have not commented on the information.
The Abrams tank has been in service with the US Army since 1980 and is considered one of the best tanks in the world. The US Army currently operates over 2,600 Abrams tanks and has approximately 2,000 more in storage.
The US has provided Ukraine with the M1A1SA version of the tank, not the more modern M1A2 version. However, US media outlets have noted that information about vulnerabilities in the M1A2 variant would still be very helpful to the Russian military on the battlefield.
Pham Giang (According to CNN)
