U.S. Soldier Charged With Trying to Pass Abrams Tank Data to Russia
A 22-year-old U.S. Army soldier has been arrested for allegedly attempting to transfer sensitive information about the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank to the Russian government in exchange for citizenship.
The Gaze reports, referring to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The soldier, identified as Taylor Adam Lee, was taken into custody on August 6 and appeared in federal court the same day.
He faces two federal charges: attempting to transmit national defense information and exporting controlled technical data without a license.
According to investigators, Lee, who held a security clearance while stationed at Fort Bliss, began seeking contact with the Russian Ministry of Defense in May 2025.
He later allegedly transmitted restricted technical data on the Abrams tank online in June, followed by an in-person meeting in July where he reportedly handed an SD card to someone he believed to be a Russian official.
The card is said to have contained classified documents detailing vulnerabilities in the M1A2 Abrams, specifications of another U.S. armored vehicle, and sensitive information on U.S. Army combat operations.
Further escalating his actions, Lee allegedly delivered physical equipment removed from an Abrams tank to a storage facility in El Paso, Texas, on July 31. He later messaged his contact with the phrase “Mission accomplished.”
Prosecutors say Lee expressed his disillusionment with the United States in messages, writing that he would “voluntarily aid the Russian Federation in any way once I’m there.” He also reportedly sought Russian citizenship in exchange for the information.
“Thanks to the diligent efforts of Army Counterintelligence and our FBI partners, individuals who betray their oath and threaten national security will be brought to justice,” said Brig. Gen. Sean F. Stinchon, Commander of U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is leading the investigation with support from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the FBI’s El Paso Division.
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