An IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested Thursday for attempting to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government, the Department of Justice said.
According to the press release, Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested in northern Virginia, and will make his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia on Friday.
The DOJ adds:
According to court documents, Laatsch became a civilian employee of the DIA in 2019, where he works with the Insider Threat Division and holds a Top Secret security clearance. In March 2025, the FBI commenced an operation after receiving a tip that an individual — now known to be Laatsch — offered to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. In that email, the sender wrote that he did not “agree or align with the values of this administration” and was therefore “willing to share classified information” that he had access to, including “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.”
After multiple communications with an FBI agent — who Laatsch allegedly believed to be an official of the foreign government — Laatsch began transcribing classified information to a notepad at his desk and, over the course of approximately three days, repeatedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace. Laatsch subsequently confirmed to the FBI agent that he was prepared to transmit the information.
Thereafter, the FBI implemented an operation at a public park in northern Virginia, where Laatsch believed he would deposit the classified information for the foreign government to retrieve. On or about May 1, 2025, FBI surveillance observed Laatsch proceed to the specified location and deposit an item. Following Laatsch’s departure, the FBI retrieved the item, which was a thumb drive later found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents, each containing information that was portion-marked up to the Secret or Top Secret levels. The message from Laatsch indicated that he had chosen to include “a decent sample size” of classified information to “decently demonstrate the range of types of products” to which he had access.
After receiving confirmation that the thumb drive had been received, on May 7, Laatsch allegedly sent a message to the FBI agent, which indicated Laatsch was seeking something from the foreign government in return for continuing to provide classified information. The next day, Laatsch specified that he was interested in “citizenship for your country” because he did not “expect[] things here to improve in the long term.” Although he said he was “not opposed to other compensation,” he was not in a position where he needed to seek “material compensation.”
On May 14, the FBI agent advised Laatsch that it was prepared to receive additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch again repeatedly transcribed multiple pages of notes while logged into his classified workstation, folded the notes, and exfiltrated the classified information in his clothing.
On May 29, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia, where Laatsch again allegedly attempted to transmit multiple classified documents to the foreign country. Laatsch was arrested upon the FBI’s receipt of the documents.
Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Executive Director Lee M. Russ of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Office of Special Projects made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Air Force OSI and with thanks to the Defense Intelligence Agency for its cooperation.
Trial Attorneys Christina Clark and Mark Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Today, an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency was arrested for attempting to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign government.
This case underscores the persistent risk of insider threats. The FBI remains steadfast in protecting our…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 29, 2025
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
“This case underscores the persistent risk of insider threats. The FBI remains steadfast in protecting our national security and thanks our law enforcement partners for their critical support,” the tweet added.
Many wondered which “friendly” foreign government Laatsch thought he was giving this information to.
This kind of criminal, and frankly, treasonous, act is precisely why an incoming president should be able to fire employees as he or she sees fit without interference from rogue district court judges who think they are the ones who run the Executive Branch.
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- TREASON AT THE TOP: FBI And DOJ Whistleblower Records Reveal Anti-Trump Plot In 2020 Election Case
- NABBED! Traitorous FBI Agent Arrested Trying to Flee the Country
- Russia and China Recruiting Traitorous Fired Federal Workers to Undermine U.S.A.
- Can America Survive Its Traitors?
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