The US justice department has filed the first criminal charges linked to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
A former BP engineer was arrested on charges of intentionally destroying evidence.
Kurt Mix of Katy, Texas, faces two counts of obstruction of justice.
He is accused of trying to delete text messages between himself and a supervisor, in October 2010, containing details about how attempts to cap the leaking well were going.
In a sworn affidavit, FBI special agent Barbara O'Donnell said Mr Mix had "deleted numerous electronic records relating to the Deepwater Horizon disaster response, including records concerning the amount of oil potentially flowing from the well, after being repeatedly informed of his obligation to maintain such records".
Mr Mix, 50, was involved in some of BP's attempts to cap the well, including the unsuccessful Top Kill efforts in May 2010.
He resigned from BP earlier in 2012.
The justice department said he would make his first appearance in Houston federal court later on Tuesday.
The Deepwater Horizon rig, which had been leased by BP, exploded on 20 April 2010, killing 11 workers and eventually spilling more than 200 million gallons of crude oil.
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