Army officer held in UK spy sting named as Brandon Tyner

Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner, a 41-year-old U.S. Army officer, was arrested in England in a sting operation on suspicion of spying for Russia. He is expected to be charged on Sunday, Nov. 15, or Monday, Nov. 16, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal. British counterterrorism police detained him near Gloucester on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in a joint investigation with the FBI and U.S. Army counterintelligence. The case is drawing attention because he worked at a NATO headquarters, and the Kremlin denies any connection to it.wsj.com

The arrest and the case

Police arrested the officer under Sections 1 and 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which cover obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service. They said "the country to which the allegations relate is Russia," CNN reported. Officers searched two locations in Gloucestershire. Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, who leads U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, described the suspect as a "senior soldier" who had been "entrusted with sensitive information," according to the same report.edition.cnn.com

Police have since obtained a warrant that lets them hold the officer until Tuesday, Nov. 17, Yahoo News UK reported. Two officials told The New York Times that after Britain files charges, the Army plans to pursue charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and bring him back to the United States. The Times also reported that officials have not said what led to the arrest, and it is unclear whether he passed any sensitive information to Moscow.nytimes.com+1

A decorated veteran at a NATO base

According to the Times, Tyner is a decorated Afghanistan veteran who worked in Army human resources. He served in Afghanistan for a year starting in December 2013 and in Iraq in 2019 and 2020, and his awards include the Bronze Star. The Journal reported that he joined the Army in 2008 and was also deployed to Qatar.

He was stationed at Imjin Barracks, home to the headquarters of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, CBS News reported. A source told Newsweek that he is not an intelligence officer. The NATO unit he worked for is tasked with preparing for a possible Russian attack on alliance territory.cbsnews.com+1

Kremlin denial

At a briefing on Wednesday, Nov. 11, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected any link to the case. "We have absolutely nothing to do with this, and it has absolutely nothing to do with us," he said, according to France 24.france24.com

British police said the arrest is not linked to other ongoing counterterrorism investigations. That includes a suspected Iran-linked plot in September at RAF Fairford, a U.S.-run base near Gloucester, according to France 24. "The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing," said Vicki Evans, Counter Terrorism Policing's senior national coordinator, AzerNews reported.azernews.az+1