The US military has named an American soldier based in the UK who has been arrested on allegations of espionage for Russia. Lt Col Brandon Carroll Tyner was detained in Gloucester this week by British counter terrorism police and can be held until at least Tuesday after a warrant of foreign detention was granted.
Deployments and Accusations
The 41-year-old had undertaken deployments in Iraq, Qatar and Afghanistan before moving to Imjin Barracks in Innsworth, according to the HQ of Nato's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Mr Tyner, who joined the US forces as a senior human resources officer in 2008, is accused of sharing secret information with Russian intelligence.
Officers have searched two addresses in Gloucestershire as part of ongoing enquiries into the suspected leak.
Social Media Activity
The American officer had previously shared several posts about cryptocurrencies on LinkedIn, including one of him wearing a bitcoin-themed face mask during Covid, although his social media activity has ceased in recent years. His other posts included pictures of books The Chaos Imperative and The Dichotomy of Leadership. He was also pictured by his family on holidays just days before his arrest.
Official Reactions
FBI director Kash Patel said at the time of the arrest, the allegations were of 'the utmost concern to the United States and our allies'. 'While this investigation is continuing, 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', he said.
Brig Gen Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, said Mr Tyner had been 'entrusted with sensitive information'. He said: 'The alleged conduct of a senior solider, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent. I encourage anyone who thinks they've witnessed something suspicious to report it to their local counterintelligence office.'
The Kremlin has denied the US officer has any links with the country. Its spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: 'This arrest does not concern us in any way. We don't know what it's connected to. We have nothing to do with this and it has nothing to do with us.'
