Revealed: US army officer arrested by British counter-terror police suspected of spying for Russia is crypto fan who calls himself a 'change agent'

Published: 05:34 EST, 14 November 2026 | Updated: 06:31 EST, 14 November 2026 A US army officer arrested by counter-terror police in the UK after being accused of spying for Russia has been revealed as a crypto fan who describes himself as a 'change agent'. Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Tyner, 41, was detained on Tuesday in a joint MI5, FBI and counter-terror operation on suspicion of offering to spy for the Kremlin after being 'entrusted with sensitive information'.Tyner, based at Imjin Barracks – the headquarters of Nato's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) – in Innsworth, was named yesterday.Police detained the husband and father-of-two under the National Security Act and searched a property in Gloucester this week in connection with the investigation.It can now be revealed that the soldier, who joined the US army in 2008 and served tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar, describes himself as a 'change agent' and 'master of coin' on social media.Tyner regularly posted on LinkedIn about cryptocurrency and posted images of gold coins.The human resources officer, who was last active on the platform two years ago, also shared what appears to be a selfie, edited to show him wearing a bitcoin-inspired facemask, holding a gold coin and with lasers coming out of his eyes. Lt Col Brandon Tyner, 41, who posted regularly about crypto currency online, was arrested by counter-terror police this week on suspicion of spying for Russia Tyner, believed to have been based at Imjin Barracks - the headquarters of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) - in Innsworth, was named yesterdayOther posts see him describe himself as a 'disruptor' and share books he has read, including The Chaos Imperative and The Dichotomy of Leadership.Family photographs shared on other social media platforms show Tyner posing just days before his arrest, as well as enjoying holidays, visits to the beach and hiking trips.He served in Afghanistan between 2013 and 2014, and Qatar from 2016 to 2017.He also spent a year with a special forces task force that included SBS (Special Boat Service), Navy Seals and Delta Force.It was yesterday confirmed by US officials that Tyner had not handed over any information to Moscow, and he is expected to be charged in the coming days.The intention is then to prosecute him under the US military justice system, the official said.A second US official also confirmed Tyner's name and said he had been previously deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.Tyner was a senior human resources officer at the time of his arrest on Tuesday on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service and obtaining or disclosing protected information.Tyner was serving in Nato's ARRC – the multinational land unit within the Nato military alliance that is designed to quickly respond to crises or short-notice operations. According to the unit's website, it is made up of forces from 20 nations but is led by the British.Police said the arrest was not related to other counterterrorism investigations, indicating no connection with a suspected terror plot linked to Iran in September at a US-run base in Britain, RAF Fairford, near Gloucester.FBI director Kash Patel this week described the arrest as important, and said it involved 'allegations of espionage'.He added: 'This matter shows that partnerships are essential to protect our countries and I want to express my thanks to UK Counter Terrorism Policing, MI5, UK Defence Counter Intelligence, and the US Army Counterintelligence Command for their outstanding work.'Vicki Evans, the 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.' Tyner can be held for up to two weeks from the point of his arrest but is expected to be charged in the coming days.