US Army officer arrested in UK on suspicion of spying for Russia
This general view shows the entrance to the Imjin Barracks of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), the alliance's multinational, high-readiness military headquarters led by the British Army, in the town of Gloucester, western England on November 11, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
A US Army lieutenant colonel assigned to NATO headquarters in England has been arrested on suspicion of espionage linked to Russia.
A 41-year-old US Army officer assigned to a NATO headquarters in England was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of espionage linked to Russia, British police said. The man was identified as Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner. He was allegedly assisting a foreign intelligence service and obtaining or disclosing protected information. Both are offences under Britain's National Security Act 2023. He is in custody at a London police station pending possible charges.
Officials said he was serving with NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps at Imjin Barracks, a British Army base near Gloucester. The unit is a multinational force of troops from 20 nations that is designed to respond quickly to crises across NATO territory.
Officials familiar with the case, speaking on condition of anonymity to the New York Times, said that no sensitive information reached Russia suggesting that the investigators moved before any handover. Searches were carried out at two locations in Gloucestershire.
The operation involved Britain's MI5 security service, counterterrorism police and the FBI, along with British and U.S. Army counterintelligence. Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing, said the allegations were serious and the investigation is ongoing.
Tyner is a decorated veteran who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar. Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, who commands US Army Counterintelligence Command, described called the case a reminder that insider threats are real and persistent. FBI Director Kash Patel called it an "important arrest" and said the US does not tolerate those who break their oath.
“Our message is clear: This [FBI] has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote. “FBI will continue using every resource at our disposal to hunt down any subject who compromises our national security.”
Police said the arrest is unrelated to other counterterrorism inquiries. That includes a suspected Iran-linked plot in September at RAF Fairford, a US-run base near Gloucester.
The arrest comes as European governments warn of a rising Russian threat. The Associated Press has tracked more than 210 incidents of sabotage and other malign activity across Europe blamed on Russia by Western officials since the invasion of Ukraine.
