A Texas-based U.S. Army soldier with top-secret clearance has been arrested for allegedly trying to pass national defense secrets to Russia, including sensitive data on the M1A2 Abrams tank.

Taylor Adam Lee, a 22-year-old active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, was taken into custody Wednesday in El Paso.

Charges include espionage attempt

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, Lee is accused of attempting to transmit national defense information to Russia's Ministry of Defense and to export controlled technical data without a license.

Timeline of alleged contact

Prosecutors say Lee tried to establish contact with Russian officials between May and August, sending export-controlled data on the M1A2 Abrams tank online in June.

At that time, accor

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