He Had Access to America’s War Machines—Then Tried to Hand It All to Russia

Jeff Charles | August 07, 2025 12:15 PM

The authorities arrested an active-duty soldier at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, for allegedly sharing critical information with the Russian government.

The Justice Department on Wednesday announced the arrest of Taylor Adam Lee.

According to court documents, Taylor Adam Lee, 22, holds a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance. From approximately May 2025 through the present, Lee sought to establish his U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. In June 2025, Lee allegedly transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation, stating, “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and added, “At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.”
In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and who he believed to be a representative of the Russian government, Lee allegedly passed an SD card to the individual. Lee proceeded to provide a detailed overview of the documents and information contained on the SD card, including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations. Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide. Other documents on the SD card were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and featured banner warnings and dissemination controls. Throughout the meeting, Lee stated that the information on the SD card was sensitive and likely classified.
During and after the July meeting, Lee discussed obtaining and providing to the Russian government a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank. On July 31, 2025, Lee delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso. After doing so, Lee sent a message to the individual he believed to be a representative of the Russian government stating, “Mission accomplished.”

Another service member named Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, a former US Army Special Forces officer, was convicted in 2021 for conspiring with Russian intelligence operatives between 1996 and 2011. He provided national defense information to Russia's GRU, including details about his unit and the names of team members for possible recruitment.