The arrest of Ashley Tellis, a renowned international relations scholar and influential policy adviser, has sent shockwaves through Washington’s foreign policy circles and beyond. Tellis, 64, was taken into custody over the weekend before October 15, 2025, at his home in Vienna, Virginia, on charges of unlawfully retaining classified national defense information. The allegations, brought forth by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, have cast a shadow over the career of a man once celebrated for his pivotal role in shaping U.S.-India relations.
According to court documents and statements from law enforcement, Tellis allegedly obtained and kept over a thousand pages of documents marked “Top Secret” and “Secret” from both the State Department and the Defense Department. The trove of sensitive materials was discovered in a series of locked filing cabinets, scattered around his basement home office, and even tucked away in large black trash bags in an unfinished storage room. The search was conducted under a federal warrant approved on October 11, 2025, after months of FBI surveillance.
U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan did not mince words about the gravity of the situation. In a press release, Halligan stated, “The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens.” She added that her office remained “fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic.” If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and the forfeiture of all seized materials.
The investigation into Tellis’s activities began at least as early as October 2022, according to FBI filings. Surveillance revealed a pattern of behavior that alarmed authorities. Tellis reportedly met with officials from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on several occasions over the past few years. In one instance, he attended a dinner with multiple PRC officials at a restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, carrying a manila envelope, while the officials brought a gift bag. By the end of the meal, Tellis no longer appeared to have the envelope—though, as reported by The Federal, authorities have not publicly accused him of directly handing over classified information during these meetings.
Court documents detail further encounters, including a meeting on April 11, 2023, during which Tellis and PRC officials discussed Iranian-Chinese relations and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. On March 19, 2024, another dinner reportedly touched on U.S.-Pakistan relations. Surveillance intensified after a September 2, 2025, meeting where Tellis was presented with a red gift bag by PRC officials.
But the most damning evidence, according to the FBI affidavit, came from Tellis’s actions within government facilities. On September 12, 2025, Tellis was videotaped entering a Department of Defense facility in Alexandria, Virginia—specifically the Mark Center. There, a junior colleague had already printed out multiple documents, including one marked “Top Secret.” Tellis was observed taking possession of these documents. Later, on September 25, he accessed files on combat aircraft used by adversaries via the State Department’s classified information system. Surveillance footage showed him concealing printed classified material among his notepads and taking them home.
The AP and The Hindu both reported that Tellis was believed to have printed classified information related to U.S. military aircraft capabilities. FBI surveillance video also captured him exiting both State Department and Defense Department facilities with a briefcase thought to contain the sensitive papers. The scope and frequency of these incidents raised red flags for investigators, leading to the approval of the search warrant and his subsequent arrest.
Tellis’s background makes the charges all the more startling. Born in 1961 in Mumbai, India, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from St. Xavier’s College before moving to the United States for further study. He holds both an MA and a PhD in political science from the University of Chicago, where he distinguished himself as a scholar of international affairs.
His career has spanned academia, government, and influential think tanks. Tellis served as a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he authored India’s Emerging Nuclear Posture and co-authored Interpreting China’s Grand Strategy: Past, Present, and Future. He later joined the U.S. Foreign Service, rising to become a senior adviser to the U.S. Ambassador to India from 2001 to 2003. Tellis also held a key post on the National Security Council staff as special assistant to President George W. Bush and as senior director for strategic planning and Southwest Asia.
Perhaps most notably, Tellis is recognized as a key architect of the 2008 U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement—a deal widely regarded as a watershed moment in bilateral relations. He worked closely with Indian diplomats, including S. Jaishankar, now India’s external affairs minister, to craft an agreement that acknowledged India’s growing role on the world stage without labeling it a proliferation risk. In 2005, Tellis testified before Congress, arguing that the deal “acknowledges the strengthening ties by engaging India.”
In the years since, Tellis has advised multiple U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush and Donald Trump, on issues ranging from defense to international trade. He was even considered for the post of U.S. ambassador to India during Trump’s first term. After leaving government service, he continued to shape policy discourse as the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on international security and U.S. foreign policy with a special emphasis on Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
Now, however, Tellis’s storied career is overshadowed by the serious federal charges he faces. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made clear that, if convicted, the consequences will be severe: up to a decade behind bars, a hefty financial penalty, and the permanent loss of any seized classified materials. The case is being closely watched not just in Washington, but also in New Delhi and other world capitals, where Tellis’s influence and expertise have long been recognized.
For now, Tellis is free on bond as prosecutors prepare for further legal proceedings and a potential trial. The outcome could have far-reaching implications—not only for U.S. national security, but also for the delicate web of international relationships that Tellis helped to build throughout his distinguished career. As the legal process unfolds, one thing is certain: the arrest of Ashley Tellis marks a dramatic chapter in the ongoing struggle to safeguard America’s secrets in an era of global uncertainty.
