(Courtesy: DOJ) – Taylor Adam Lee, 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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