Nathan Vilas Laatsch, a Jewish 28-year-old IT specialist at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), was arrested by the FBI for attempting to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign government.
Laatsch, who worked in the Insider Threat Division and held a Top Secret security clearance, was arrested on May 29, 2025, after a series of operations by the FBI that began in March 2025 when they received a tip about someone willing to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government, which many speculate may be Israel.
The 28-year-old began communicating with an FBI agent posing as a representative of a foreign government in March 2025. During these communications, Laatsch expressed his disapproval of the current U.S. administration and his willingness to share classified information, including completed intelligence products and unprocessed intelligence.
"Today, an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency was arrested for attempting to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign government," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X. "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."
According to court documents, Laatsch expressed in an email that he did not "agree or align with the values of this administration' and was willing to share classified information he had access to, including "completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation."
Over several days, Laatsch transcribed classified information onto a notepad at his desk and smuggled it out of his secure workspace between May 15 and May 27, 2025. On May 1, 2025, he deposited a thumb drive containing classified information at a public park in northern Virginia, where he believed it would be retrieved by the foreign government.
The thumb drive was later found to contain information marked as Secret or Top Secret.
After confirming the thumb drive had been received, Laatsch contacted the undercover FBI agent roughly a week later and expressed interest in citizenship from the unnamed country because he did not "expect things here to improve in the long term" The FBI undercover agent continued to engage with Laatsch, and he agreed to provide additional classified information between May 15 and May 27, 2025.
On May 29, Laatsch was arrested at a prearranged location in northern Virginia where he attempted to transmit multiple classified documents to the foreign country.
The FBI Washington Field Office is leading the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The prosecution team includes trial attorneys from the National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
