Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for Russia, Officials Say

A 41-year-old U.S. Army officer stationed in Gloucestershire was arrested on Tuesday under the National Security Act 2023 on suspicion of spying for Russia.

Federal and military officials confirmed that the detained serviceman is Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner. Arrested near Gloucester, the 41-year-old officer served as a senior human resources officer assigned to the Imjin Barracks.

That Gloucestershire facility houses the operational headquarters for Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, which serves as a three-star NATO headquarters with more than 400 permanent staff from more than 20 nations. Tyner is a decorated Afghanistan war veteran whose career includes deployments to Iraq and Qatar, earning awards such as the Bronze Star Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

According to details on his LinkedIn profile, he earned a master’s degree in military operational art and science from the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College alongside a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Investigators searched two locations in Gloucestershire following the arrest, and the suspect was held at a London police station by Tuesday evening.

He faces accusations under Sections 1 and 3 of the National Security Act, which cover obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service. Under British law, a Section 1 offense carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, while a Section 3 offense carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.

U.S. officials indicated that British prosecutors are expected to file formal charges on Sunday or Monday.

Following those charges, the U.S. Army intends to seek Tyner’s transfer to prosecute him under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to reports from American officials familiar with the case. Cellphone numbers for Tyner and his wife were disconnected following the operation, and a U.S. official said that it is unclear whether Tyner actually handed over sensitive information to Moscow.

The alleged conduct of a senior soldier, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent.

Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command

FBI Director Kash Patel described the matter as of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies in a public statement. Patel also pointed out that the bureau executed 167 espionage and counterintelligence arrests over the preceding 21 months, marking a 53 percent rise.

“I want to send a clear message – this FBI has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States and whose actions endanger our national security and that of our partners,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Counter Terrorism Policing Vicki Evans praised the close collaboration between British and U.S. authorities and called the allegations serious as the investigation continues.

British police said that the arrest is not related to other cases, separating it from a suspected plot at RAF Fairford where the Justice Department charged three people described as Iran-backed operatives.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin dismissed any connection to the detained officer during a press briefing in Moscow.

This arrest has nothing to do with us, and we don’t know what it is connected to.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin Spokesman

The Kremlin spokesman further maintained during a Wednesday press conference that the arrest has nothing to do with Russia and does not concern them in any way.