Army Officer Held in Britain on Suspicion of Spying for Russia Is Identified as Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner, With Charges Expected Soon

The U.S. Army officer arrested in England this week on suspicion of spying for Russia has been identified as Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner, according to multiple reports. The 41-year-old was detained Tuesday near Gloucester, and officials say he is expected to be charged by British authorities soon.

ABC News, citing a source, described Tyner as an Army personnel officer. He was stationed at the headquarters of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Britain, a command designed to lead the alliance's land forces in a conflict or crisis, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing The Wall Street Journal. ABC reported earlier that the base is Imjin Barracks in Gloucestershire, where a small contingent of U.S. intelligence soldiers is assigned and some NATO intelligence is processed.

Tyner enlisted in the Army in 2008 and previously served in Afghanistan, Qatar and Iraq, according to the Post. Officials told ABC he had been entrusted with sensitive information.

British counterterrorism police arrested Tyner on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and searched two locations in Gloucestershire, ABC reported. He was arrested on suspicion of offenses under Britain's National Security Act 2023, and British authorities left no doubt about the foreign power involved. "The country to which the allegations relate is Russia," they said, according to ABC. The Post reported that police cited offenses relating to protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service.

London's Metropolitan Police said the arrest was carried out in close cooperation with the U.S. Army and the FBI. He remains in British custody.

According to the Journal's reporting, cited by the Post, Tyner spoke with people he did not know were working for British authorities as part of a sting operation. His motives are not clear. No outlet has reported publicly what information, if any, he passed to Russia.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the case involves allegations of espionage that are of the utmost concern, according to the Post. "This FBI has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath," Patel said, ABC reported.

Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, who leads U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, called the case "a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent," the Post reported. He also thanked British authorities and the FBI for their teamwork. The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, denied any connection to the officer.

An official told NBC News the officer is set to be charged in the United Kingdom. The Washington Times reported he could be indicted as soon as next week, and the Post, citing the Journal, said he is expected to stand trial in the United States under American military law after the British case. ABC's source said he faces charges from both British authorities and the U.S. Army, though the specific counts are not yet clear. Military espionage charges can carry life in prison upon conviction, ABC noted. No date for a first court appearance had been made public, and officials have not released the evidence against him.

If the allegations are proven, this is a betrayal of the worst kind: an American officer, trusted with the secrets that protect his fellow soldiers and NATO allies, allegedly offering them to Moscow. The men and women who wear the uniform with honor deserve to know that anyone who breaks that trust will be found and punished.

It is also a story of the system working. British police, the FBI and Army counterintelligence ran a coordinated investigation, including what the Journal described as a sting operation. That kind of allied teamwork is exactly what keeps the NATO alliance strong.

Tyner, like any accused American, is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But the message from Patel and the Army is unmistakable: an oath to the Constitution is not something a soldier can sell.