A Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) IT specialist, Nathan Laatsch, has been apprehended for allegedly attempting to transmit classified data to a foreign government, motivated by disagreements with the policies of former President Donald Trump.
According to the Justice Department, Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, faces charges for allegedly attempting to share classified information with someone he believed to be a representative of a foreign government. He was arrested following an FBI sting operation.
Laatsch, an IT specialist in the DIA’s Insider Threat Division since 2019, is accused of wanting to share classified materials due to ideological differences with the Trump administration.
“I am extremely disturbed by the recent actions of the current administration,” he reportedly stated in an email intercepted by the FBI. “I disagree with the values of this administration and intend to act to support the values that the United States at one time stood for.”
The Justice Department said the FBI began investigating in March after receiving a tip about Laatsch’s intentions. Undercover agents, posing as foreign government representatives, communicated with Laatsch, who allegedly transcribed classified information onto a notepad at work over three days. He then allegedly hid the notes in his socks and lunchbox to smuggle them out of the facility.
On May 1, Laatsch allegedly left a thumb drive containing documents marked ‘Secret’ and ‘Top Secret’ at a designated drop-off location in a northern Virginia park. He later expressed interest in obtaining citizenship from the foreign country, stating he did not expect “things here to improve in the long term,” according to prosecutors.
Laatsch was arrested at a subsequent drop-off location. His court appearance is scheduled in Alexandria.
The foreign government’s identity remains undisclosed, but the Justice Department has identified it as a U.S. ally.
“This case highlights the ongoing threat posed by insiders,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X. “The FBI remains dedicated to protecting our national security and appreciates the vital support of our law enforcement partners.”
Laatsch’s arrest is the latest in a series of high-profile cases involving U.S. intelligence personnel leaking classified information.
Last August, Pentagon employee Gokhan Gun was arrested while attempting to travel to Mexico with ‘Top Secret’ documents and was charged with unauthorized retention of classified materials.
In 2023, Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira received a 15-year prison sentence after admitting to leaking hundreds of classified Pentagon documents on Discord, including intelligence related to the Ukraine conflict and other sensitive matters.
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