A 22-year-old U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Bliss has been arrested for attempting to transmit sensitive military information to Russia, according to federal prosecutors.
Taylor Adam Lee of El Paso, Texas, is charged with attempted transmission of national defense information and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license.
Lee, who held Top Secret (TS) and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance, allegedly tried to pass off critical details about the M1A2 Abrams tank — the U.S. military’s main battle tank — in exchange for Russian citizenship.
DOJ: “Serious transgressions will be met with serious consequences”
“The defendant sought to transmit sensitive national defense information to Russia regarding the operation of the M1A2 Abrams,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
“Our enemies, both foreign and domestic, should be aware that we diligently investigate and aggressively prosecute these cases,” added U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.
The case was brought by the FBI and Army Counterintelligence Command, which uncovered Lee’s alleged plot before any real harm could be done.
What Lee Allegedly Did
Since May 2025, Lee is accused of sending export-controlled technical information to someone he believed was a Russian intelligence officer — who was actually an undercover FBI agent.
He wrote messages saying:
“The USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses.”
“At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.”
In July, Lee met in person with the undercover agent and handed over an SD card containing unauthorized technical data on the Abrams tank. He told the fake agent the contents were “sensitive and likely classified.”
By July 31, he had delivered what he believed to be a piece of hardware from the tank to a storage unit in El Paso.
“Mission accomplished,” Lee wrote to the agent after the drop.
Next Steps
Lee has been taken into federal custody, and prosecutors are pursuing serious national security charges.
