A US espionage prosecution has brought renewed attention to how classified American intelligence reached Ethiopian government officials during the country's armed conflict.
The Department of Justice announced on November 3, 2026, that Abraham Teklu Lemma, a former government IT contractor, had pleaded guilty to conspiring to transmit national defence information to Ethiopia.
The guilty plea follows a multiyear investigation into the removal of sensitive documents from US government facilities and their transfer to foreign officials.
The latest announcement also included a significant statement from the FBI: Ethiopian officials used information supplied by Lemma in military operations during an ongoing conflict.
Intelligence Linked to Ethiopian Military Operations
The Justice Department said much of the information Lemma transferred concerned armed fighting inside Ethiopia.
According to Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, Lemma wanted Ethiopian officials to use the intelligence to target and kill paramilitary fighters opposing the government.
Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, stated that Ethiopian officials subsequently used classified information provided by Lemma in military operations.
The official announcement did not identify the precise operations in which the intelligence was used.
It also did not establish specific casualty figures or publicly link the transferred material to named drone strikes.
The case nevertheless provides a documented connection between the unauthorised transfer of US intelligence and Ethiopian government military activity.
December 2021 Communications Mentioned Drones
One of the most significant details concerns messages exchanged on December 18, 2021.
According to federal prosecutors, Lemma encouraged an Ethiopian contact to continue efforts against armed groups fighting the country's government.
He subsequently sent a message requesting drones.
The communications occurred during the period of intense fighting in northern Ethiopia.
The Tigray war, which began in November 2020, was still underway in December 2021, with Ethiopian federal forces and their opponents engaged in major military operations.
However, the Justice Department's November 2026 statement did not identify the specific armed formations Lemma was discussing.
There is also no independently established evidence in the public announcement tying his drone request to an individual strike.
The messages are important because they demonstrate his expressed interest in the military use of intelligence rather than proving his involvement in a particular attack.
Earlier Investigation Examined Dozens of Reports
Details of Lemma's access to US intelligence first emerged when charges were made public in September 2023.
Initial court filings described extensive searches and copying of classified government information.
According to documents reviewed by CNN at the time, Lemma copied information from at least 85 intelligence reports between December 2022 and August 2023.
Investigators also alleged that he accessed at least 48 additional reports and obtained restricted materials through printing and electronic downloads.
The documents involved sensitive military assessments and information related to Ethiopia.
Some material reportedly included satellite imagery, maps and photographs.
Those figures came from the initial prosecution documents and should be distinguished from the facts specifically described in the November 2026 guilty-plea announcement.
Encrypted Contacts With Ethiopian Officials
The espionage operation involved direct communication with foreign officials who requested information about military activities.
According to the original investigation, Lemma used an encrypted messaging application to communicate with a contact connected to Ethiopia's intelligence services.
The official asked for information on particular subjects, and Lemma responded by searching restricted US systems.
Prosecutors described the exchange as a continuing arrangement rather than a single disclosure.
The Justice Department's latest statement identified senior figures in Ethiopia's political, military and intelligence institutions as participants in the conspiracy.
It also confirmed that Lemma was engaged in the activity from 2021 until his arrest in August 2023.
How Classified Material Left Secure Facilities
Lemma had access to restricted computer systems through his work for US government agencies.
His previous assignments included the National Reconnaissance Office, the State Department and the Justice Department.
The November 2026 announcement said he used both handwritten and electronic methods to remove classified information.
At times, he copied information into handwritten notes and carried them out of secure buildings.
On other occasions, he obtained electronic records from classified repositories using his administrator access.
Earlier prosecution documents also described the removal of classification markings from certain materials before they were transferred.
These methods helped explain how sensitive information could be removed from systems designed to restrict access and distribution.
Investigation Followed US Government Security Review
Lemma's activities came under scrutiny during a security review of classified State Department systems.
In 2023, American officials identified information suggesting that a government contractor had improperly removed and transmitted restricted national security material.
The FBI subsequently investigated the suspected espionage activities.
Lemma was arrested on August 24, 2023.
The Justice Department publicly disclosed the criminal complaint on September 21 of that year.
The original court documents referred to a foreign government without explicitly identifying it in the initial public announcement.
Media investigations at the time reported that Ethiopia was the country involved.
The November 3, 2026 guilty-plea announcement explicitly confirmed the Ethiopian government as the beneficiary of the espionage conspiracy.
Court Had Considered Foreign Contacts and Passport Evidence
Before the guilty plea, federal prosecutors and the defence disputed whether certain evidence should be presented at trial.
In a May 20, 2026 ruling, US District Judge John D. Bates considered materials involving Lemma's contacts with Ethiopian officials, his handling of classified records and attempts to obtain an Ethiopian passport.
The court permitted the prosecution to use the disputed categories of evidence.
The ruling addressed their admissibility at trial and did not itself constitute a finding that every allegation represented a separate proven offence.
The subsequent guilty plea became the decisive development in the prosecution.
Sentencing and Wider Security Implications
The Justice Department said Lemma pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transmit national defence information to a foreign government.
If the plea agreement is accepted by the court, the agreed term of incarceration ranges from 120 to 262 months.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 14, 2027.
The Department of Justice has not announced a new set of diplomatic sanctions against Ethiopia as part of the November 3 statement.
Nor has it disclosed the names of all Ethiopian officials involved in the conspiracy.
The public record therefore establishes the espionage conspiracy and the FBI's assessment that transferred intelligence was used in military operations, while leaving important questions about individual battlefield actions unanswered.
The case highlights both the risks created by insider access to highly classified systems and the role sensitive foreign intelligence can play when transmitted without authorisation during an armed conflict.
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