The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:
Taylor
Adam Lee (seen in the photo above), 22, of El Paso, Texas, was arrested today
on charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a
foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a
license.
“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.”
“National security has long been one of the highest priorities
of the Justice Department, and here in the Western District of Texas, we remain
alert for those who wish to help our adversaries and harm the United States,”
said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Our
enemies, both foreign and domestic, should be aware that we diligently
investigate and aggressively prosecute these cases. I appreciate the
investigative work by our partners in the FBI and the Army Counterintelligence
Command, and I look forward to continuing our work with them as we proceed with
the prosecution of this important case.”
“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.”
“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat
facing our U.S. Army,” said Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding
general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “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. If anyone on our Army Team sees suspicious activity, you
must report it as soon as possible.”
“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.”
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. From
approximately May 2025 through the present, Lee sought to establish his
U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s
Ministry of Defense. 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.”
In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and 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.”
The FBI Washington and El Paso Field Offices are investigating
the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence
Command.
Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s
Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Nathan Brown and Mallory Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas and are
prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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