Army Counterintelligence Anticipates Surge in Espionage Arrests

The Army’s counterintelligence division is preparing for a significant expansion in its operational capabilities, which could lead to a notable increase in espionage arrests starting in 2026. New legal powers expected to be authorized by the end of this year will empower agents to conduct searches and make arrests beyond Army bases. Lt. Gen. Anthony Hale, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence, confirmed this development during a recent press briefing at the AUSA 2025 conference.

“I expect that authority to come from the Attorney General by the end of the year,” Hale stated, emphasizing his close monitoring of the process. The Army Counter Intelligence Command (ACIC), which has been operational since December 2021, has handled over 650 national security investigations, with more than 200 currently active. Yet, the command has only made 25 arrests in its nearly four years of existence.

Challenges Faced by Counterintelligence Agents

The limited number of arrests is attributed to several factors. Most notably, ACIC directly oversees only a small fraction of the Army’s approximately 3,000 counterintelligence agents. Furthermore, agents currently lack the legal authority to execute warrants or conduct searches off military installations. This limitation complicates evidence gathering, often forcing Army counterintelligence to rely on external agencies.

Hale and Col. Richard Dempsey, ACIC’s deputy commander, described this situation as a Catch-22. “Since most soldiers and Army civilian personnel live off-base, Army CI often struggles to gather enough evidence to prompt assistance from other law enforcement agencies,” Hale explained. The new reforms are expected to address these issues as the Army faces increasing threats from foreign adversaries, particularly as new technologies are introduced.

Agents must contend with sophisticated espionage tactics, especially from nations like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. These states are increasingly utilizing online platforms to target young soldiers, attempting to solicit classified information through seemingly innocuous interactions. “The threat is among us,” Hale warned during a panel discussion at the AUSA conference.

New Legal Authorities to Enhance Operational Effectiveness

To bolster its effectiveness, the ACIC is looking forward to new legal authorities provided by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2025. These new provisions will allow civilian agents to conduct searches, execute warrants, and make arrests off military installations. Although the legislation was passed in late 2024, the implementation details required extensive vetting by multiple levels of the military and legal authorities.

With the approval process nearing completion, Hale expressed optimism. “These new powers will help us address the backlog of cases and investigations that are currently ongoing,” he noted. He cited previous arrests made at locations such as Fort Bliss and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, indicating that the potential for future arrests could rise sharply once the new authorities are in place.

Hale emphasized the importance of collaborating with other law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), but underlined the need for Army CI to act independently when necessary. “A lot of our current cases may not gain the interest of other agencies because we haven’t yet found critical information,” he remarked.

As the Army adapts to the evolving landscape of espionage, the introduction of enhanced legal powers is seen as a crucial step in safeguarding national security and protecting sensitive military information. The upcoming changes promise to reshape the capabilities of Army counterintelligence, potentially leading to a significant increase in arrests and effective countermeasures against espionage efforts.