A 41-year-old member of the US Army was arrested near Gloucester on Tuesday 10 November on suspicion of offences under the National Security Act 2023, in an investigation that police say relates to Russia. He remains in custody and no charge has been announced. The UK national threat level from terrorism remains severe. This post is for protective security teams, and for anyone responsible for staff who hold sensitive information.
What the police say
The Metropolitan Police published the details at 18:45 on 10 November. The man was arrested on suspicion of offences under sections 1 and 3 of the National Security Act 2023, and police said officers were carrying out searches at two locations in Gloucestershire. Police say the country to which the allegations relate is Russia. He was detained under the Act and remains in custody at a London police station. Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London lead the investigation, working with US authorities, the US military and the FBI. Police say the investigation is not linked to any other ongoing Counter Terrorism Policing investigation.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: "The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing." In the same release, FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrest involves allegations of espionage, and Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, said the alleged conduct of a senior soldier entrusted with sensitive information is a reminder that "insider threats are real and persistent".
The threat level
Police have not described this case as terrorism: the arrest is under the National Security Act, and the FBI describes the allegations as espionage. We give the terrorism threat level alongside it as the standing measure for UK protective security, not because the two are connected. The UK government's threat level page, read on 11 November, says the threat to the UK from terrorism is severe, meaning an attack is highly likely, and the threat to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism is substantial. The page carries no date for when either level was set.
What the police do not say
Police do not name the man or give his rank, unit or base, and do not say whether he was stationed in the UK. They do not set out what is alleged beyond the sections of the Act and the country concerned. No charge has been announced.
What it means for protective security teams
This is The Ops Con's reading, not the police's.
The case is at the arrest stage, and nothing here should be read as a finding against anyone. What it does show is that insider risk is being pursued actively on UK soil, by UK and US agencies together. For teams protecting people, sites or information, it is a reason to check the basics: who on the team holds sensitive details such as itineraries, residences, routes or client identities; whether access to that material is limited to those who need it; whether changes in a colleague's behaviour or circumstances would be noticed and raised; and whether staff know how to report a concern. With the national level at severe, venue and event briefings should continue to assume an attack is highly likely.
