Abraham Teklu Lemma pleads guilty to sharing US secrets with Ethiopia

Abraham Teklu Lemma, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Ethiopian descent, has pleaded guilty to federal charges of espionage for passing highly classified American intelligence to Ethiopian government officials. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that Lemma, who worked as a contract employee for several federal agencies, admitted to sharing national defense information that was used to target regional forces during Ethiopia’s internal conflict. The breach involved the unauthorized removal and transmission of dozens of classified documents and photographs over a period of more than two years.

The intelligence provided by Lemma played a significant role during the civil war between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) from 2020 to 2022. According to court records, the shared materials were specifically aimed at identifying and targeting fighters from the Tigray region. Lemma leveraged his access as a contractor with the Department of State and the Department of Justice to gather sensitive information, which he then transmitted to an Ethiopian official with whom he was in regular contact.

Federal investigators revealed that Lemma’s activities began in early 2020 and continued until his arrest. During this time, he used encrypted messaging applications to send photographs of classified reports and maps directly to his handlers in Addis Ababa. The Department of Justice noted that Lemma’s actions not only compromised U.S. national security but also directly influenced the kinetic operations of a foreign military during a period of intense humanitarian crisis and violence.

Lemma now faces significant prison time following his admission of guilt in a federal court. This case highlights ongoing concerns regarding insider threats and the vetting processes for contractors with high-level security clearances. While the Ethiopian civil war officially ended with a peace agreement in late 2022, the revelations of external intelligence support underscore the complex international dimensions of the conflict and the lengths to which foreign entities will go to secure strategic advantages.