WASHINGTON (Oct 15) – Indian-American strategic affairs expert Ashley J. Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has been arrested in the United States on charges of unlawfully retaining national defence information, federal prosecutors said.
Tellis, 64, was taken into custody over the weekend in Vienna, Virginia, and charged by criminal complaint under the Espionage Act, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on Tuesday.
A prominent figure in Washington’s foreign policy community, Tellis is widely regarded for his expertise in India–US relations, defence strategy, and Asian security affairs. He previously served as a senior adviser at the US State Department and as a special assistant to the President and senior director for Strategic Planning at the National Security Council.
According to prosecutors, the case involves unlawful retention of classified documents containing national defence information, though officials have not yet disclosed whether the materials were shared or mishandled.
Tellis has not commented publicly on the charges. The Carnegie Endowment said it was “aware of the situation” and was “cooperating fully with authorities.”
Tellis is expected to make his initial court appearance in the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, later this week.