A senior member of the US Army has been arrested in England on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence, in a case that British and American officials say involves a soldier who had been trusted with sensitive information. The 41-year-old man, who has not been named, was detained near the city of Gloucester on Tuesday, 10 November, by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing.
The Metropolitan Police said he was arrested on suspicion of offences under sections 1 and 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which cover obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service. Police confirmed that the country to which the allegations relate is Russia, and that the suspect remains in custody at a police station in London.
What Police and the US Army Have Said
The Met said its counter-terrorism officers made the arrest while working closely with US authorities, the US military and the FBI. Searches are being carried out at two locations in Gloucestershire, and the investigation is continuing. Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, described it as a significant arrest that came from close collaboration between UK and US authorities.
Brigadier General Sean Stinchon, commanding general of the US Army Counterintelligence Command, described the suspect as a senior soldier who had been entrusted with sensitive information. He said the alleged conduct was a reminder that insider threats are real and persistent, according to the police statement.
The suspect has not been publicly identified. ABC News reported, citing a source with direct knowledge, that he faces possible action from both British authorities and the US Army, and that his name is expected to be released in the coming days if he is formally charged in Britain.
A Senior Officer at a NATO Headquarters
The man was serving with NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps at Imjin Barracks, on the outskirts of Gloucester, according to a US official, a senior NATO official and a British government official who spoke to the Associated Press. The US official said the suspect is an officer, and CNN reported that a US official described him as a field grade officer, a rank band that runs from major to colonel.
The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps is a British-led multinational NATO formation made up of personnel from 20 countries. It is designed to respond quickly to crises and short-notice operations, and ABC News reported that intelligence personnel stationed at the base process some of the alliance’s intelligence.
Not Linked to the RAF Fairford Iran Plot
Police stressed that the arrest is not connected to any other ongoing counter-terrorism investigation. That includes the suspected Iran-linked plot in September against RAF Fairford, the Gloucestershire base used by the US Air Force. After that threat emerged, the US Air Force withdrew bombers that had been used in strikes on Iran from the base, France 24 reported.
The two cases surfaced on the same day. On Tuesday, the US Justice Department announced charges against three people it accuses of being Iran-backed operatives who plotted a terrorist attack at RAF Fairford, with one suspect in custody in New York, CBS News reported. Police said the Russia-related arrest is a separate matter.
Why the Arrest Matters for UK and NATO Security
The arrest comes at a tense moment for European security. Last month NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, US General Alexus Grynkewich, said in Poland that the alliance is ready to fight if it is attacked, and set out how NATO would defend itself against a Russian attack, the Associated Press reported.
The National Security Act 2023 is the UK’s main law against espionage and foreign interference. No charges had been announced at the time of writing, and the suspect is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected if he is formally charged.
