Texas soldier, 22, arrested after allegedly passing sensitive US battle tank info to Russia: feds
Private First Class Taylor Adam Lee, 22, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, allegedly passed on sensitive and classified information to a person he believed was a Russian Ministry of Defense representative, the Department of Justice said in a press release.
He was nabbed Wednesday in El Paso on federal charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data, the feds said.
Private First Class Taylor Adam Lee allegedly passed on sensitive and classified information to a person he believed was a Russian Ministry of Defense representative.
Fort Bliss
In June, the alleged two-faced soldier began to transmit classified technical information to the Russian government about the M1A2 Abrams tank online and offered his assistance to the Russian Federation, authorities detailed.
Lee holds a top-secret and sensitive compartmented information security clearance, federal agents said.
'The USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,' Lee allegedly said in a message to a supposed Russian official.
'At this point, I'd even volunteer to assist the Russian Federation when I'm there in any way,' he stated, according to authorities.
In July, Lee met up with someone whom he believed to be a Russian official in person, handing over an SD card packed with sensitive information about the M1A2 Abrams tank and another armored vehicle used by the US military, federal agents claimed.
Lee was not licensed to obtain several documents on the SD card, and the private continually told the official it contained 'sensitive and likely classified' information, authorities detailed.
After discussing a specific piece of internal tank hardware during the in-person meeting, Lee allegedly dropped off the part at a storage unit in El Paso on July 31, sending a 'mission accomplished' message when he was done.
Kannapat – stock.adobe.com
After discussing a specific piece of internal tank hardware during the July meeting, he allegedly dropped off the part at a storage unit in El Paso on July 31, sending a 'mission accomplished' message to a supposed Russian contact when he was done, authorities said.
'This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our US Army,' Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command, said in a statement.
'Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment,' Stinchon said.
Lee made his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if he retained legal representation.
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