LONDON — A member of the US Army has been arrested in the UK as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing, working closely with US authorities, the US Military and the FBI, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement published on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The 41-year-old man was arrested near Gloucester on Tuesday, November 10, on suspicion of offences under Section 1 and Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. Officers are carrying out searches at two locations in Gloucestershire. “The country to which the allegations relate is Russia,” the police statement said.
Source: Metropolitan Police statement, Nov 10, 2026
Reuters reported the arrest the same evening, describing the man as a senior US Army soldier arrested in Britain on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence. Section 1 of the National Security Act 2023 relates to obtaining or disclosing protected information, and Section 3 relates to assisting a foreign intelligence service, British police said. The man has been detained under the Act and remains in custody at a London police station. He has not been named, and no charge has been announced. The investigation is being led by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London, and police said it is not linked to any other ongoing Counter Terrorism Policing investigations.
Source: Reuters, Nov 10, 2026
What the officials said
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “This significant arrest and investigation is a result of close collaboration between UK and US authorities. The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing. This activity demonstrates the strength of our UK and US law enforcement and national security partnerships, and I commend the work of all the teams involved. We will work together to take robust action against those we suspect of any criminal activity that could undermine our national security.”
Source: Metropolitan Police statement, Nov 10, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel, quoted in the same police statement, said: “This important arrest involves allegations of espionage, which is 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. This includes 167 counterintelligence and espionage arrests from this FBI over the last 21 months — a 53% increase.” Patel thanked UK Counter Terrorism Policing, MI5, UK Defence Counter Intelligence and the US Army Counterintelligence Command for their work.
Source: Metropolitan Police statement, Nov 10, 2026
Brigadier General Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, said: “This case demonstrates the strength of our partnerships and the resolve of the counterintelligence community. I am grateful to the UK and the FBI for their professionalism and teamwork throughout this investigation. The alleged conduct of a senior soldier, 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.”
Source: Metropolitan Police statement, Nov 10, 2026
Reported to serve at a NATO corps headquarters — not confirmed by police
The BBC reported that it understands the soldier was based at Imjin Barracks in Innsworth, Gloucestershire, which serves as the headquarters of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. The Associated Press, citing a US official, a senior NATO official and a British government official, likewise reported that the soldier was serving in the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps at Imjin Barracks. Police themselves have not named his unit, his rank or his role, and have not said what information is alleged to have been obtained or passed on. Awaaz Punjab is treating the barracks detail as reported, not police-confirmed.
Source: BBC News, Nov 10, 2026; Associated Press via Army Times, Nov 10, 2026
What is solid
- A 41-year-old US Army member was arrested near Gloucester on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, on suspicion of Section 1 and Section 3 National Security Act 2023 offences, and police state the allegations relate to Russia — Metropolitan Police statement, reported independently by Reuters, the BBC and the AP.
- The man remains in custody at a London police station, has not been named or charged, and officers are searching two locations in Gloucestershire (Metropolitan Police).
- FBI Director Kash Patel called the case an espionage allegation of “utmost concern” and cited 167 FBI counterintelligence and espionage arrests in 21 months (Metropolitan Police statement).
What is only claimed
- That the soldier was based at Imjin Barracks with NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps rests on BBC sourcing (“it understands”) and AP reporting citing unnamed US, NATO and British officials — police have not confirmed his unit or role.
- Nothing public yet establishes what information, if any, reached Russia: police have not described the suspected acts, and an arrest on suspicion is not a charge or a finding of guilt.
The arrest was announced on the same day the United States removed aircraft from British military bases over a separate apparent threat from Iran, Reuters noted — the relocation of US refuelling tankers from RAF Mildenhall that Awaaz Punjab reported earlier on Tuesday. Police said this espionage investigation is not linked to any other ongoing Counter Terrorism Policing investigations, and no authority has linked the arrest to the Mildenhall move.
Source: Reuters, Nov 10, 2026
Earlier on Tuesday, US refuelling tankers were moved from RAF Mildenhall in England after a reported Iranian threat — a separate development that British and US officials have not connected to this arrest. Read: US tankers moved from Mildenhall over Iran threat
The soldier stays in custody in London while Counter Terrorism Policing London leads the inquiry and the Gloucestershire searches continue. Under the National Security Act, police can seek to hold him without charge for up to 14 days, the BBC reported. The next facts to watch are whether prosecutors bring charges, whether his name and unit are officially released, and whether either government says what information was allegedly involved. Until then, every element of this case remains an allegation.