A Kansas National Guardsman arrested for allegedly trying to aid a Russian intelligence service had been working as a long-haul tanker truck driver, The Salty Soldier has confirmed.
According to a U.S. Department of Justice press release, Canyon Anthony Amarys, 28, of Alamogordo, New Mexico, was arrested on October 28 and charged with attempting to violate the Export Control Reform Act.
Prosecutors say that in February 2025, Amarys met in person with someone he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent and signed a one-page agreement confirming his “covert relationship” with a Russian intelligence service. As part of that agreement, Amarys allegedly agreed to photograph a military installation at Fort Riley, Kansas, and to acquire a helicopter radio intended for the Russian military.
The Justice Department said that by March 2025, Amarys had purchased the helicopter radio and planned to ship it overseas through a contact in Romania, knowing it would be diverted to Russia. A court-authorized search later recovered the radio before it could leave the country.
The FBI’s Kansas City field office is leading the investigation with support from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, the Kansas National Guard, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Confirmed Employment as Tanker Truck Driver
A representative from Team Transport Inc., the tanker division of Sherman Brothers Trucking, confirmed to The Salty Soldier that Amarys was previously employed as a driver but is no longer with the company.
Team Transport operates nationwide, hauling liquid chemicals, fuels, and industrial materials in 5,000–7,500-gallon tank trailers. The company’s primary offices are located in Harrisburg, Oregon, and El Dorado, Arkansas, and its routes cover all 49 states and Canada.
Amarys’s public social media accounts contain numerous photos of Team Transport tanker trucks and at least one image showing him in a semi-truck cab with a small Chihuahua, consistent with his confirmed employment.
Prior Legal Issues and Traffic Violations
Court and police records reviewed by The Salty Soldier show that Amarys had minor legal run-ins before his federal arrest:
- 2017 – Eugene, Oregon: Arrested for harassment following a dispute with a roommate, according to a police report.
- 2019 – Lane County, Oregon: Cited for violating the basic speed rule and paid $441 in fines.
- March 2025 – Harvey County, Kansas: Ticketed by the Kansas Highway Patrol for driving 90 mph in a 65 zone. He later pled no contest and paid $258 in fines.
National Guard Service and Security Concerns
Authorities have not specified Amarys’s current National Guard status, but DOJ and FBI releases identify him as a member of the Kansas National Guard.
Employment records confirmed by Team Transport Inc. show that Amarys was licensed to operate commercial tanker trucks with hazardous materials and tanker endorsements, allowing him to haul chemical and explosive fuels, industrial adhesives, and other restricted liquids across state lines.
That Kansas traffic stop likely occurred along Interstate 135, the only major highway through Harvey County — a key trucking corridor connecting Wichita to Interstate 70 near Salina, which leads west toward Oregon or east toward Kansas City by way of Fort Riley.
Amarys’s dual background as a National Guardsman and hazmat-certified tanker driver highlights a growing counterintelligence concern over “dual-access” personnel — Americans who hold both military clearance and civilian licenses tied to sensitive infrastructure or hazardous cargo.
His case also underscores how foreign intelligence operatives may target lower-level military members with technical skills, financial stress, or specialized civilian experience.
In a 2019 Facebook post, Amarys appeared to express cynicism toward government work, writing:
“I’d like a 100k salary on the backs of the citizens to shovel snow and take pics.”
While that comment alone proves nothing, investigators will likely examine whether such attitudes made him more vulnerable to foreign recruitment.
For now, federal prosecutors say the investigation remains active as Amarys awaits trial in the District of Kansas.
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