A U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) employee has been arrested and charged with attempting to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign government, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, an IT specialist assigned to the DIA’s Insider Threat Division since 2019, was taken into custody following a covert FBI operation. Prosecutors allege that Laatsch’s actions were driven by personal opposition to the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to court documents, the FBI began investigating Laatsch in March after receiving a tip regarding his intentions to leak classified material. Undercover FBI agents, posing as representatives of a foreign government—described by officials only as a U.S. ally—engaged Laatsch in a series of exchanges. Over several days, he allegedly transcribed classified intelligence onto notepads while at his workstation, then concealed the materials in his socks and lunchbox to remove them from the secure facility.
In one intercepted email cited by federal prosecutors, Laatsch reportedly wrote:
“The recent actions of the current administration are extremely disturbing to me. I do not agree or align with the values of this administration and intend to act to support the values that the United States at one time stood for.”
On May 1, Laatsch allegedly deposited a thumb drive containing classified materials—some labeled ‘Secret’ and ‘Top Secret’—at a designated drop site in a northern Virginia public park. He was arrested at a second drop-off location on Thursday. Authorities also revealed that Laatsch had expressed interest in acquiring citizenship in the foreign country he believed he was assisting, citing pessimism about the future of the United States.
Laatsch is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. If convicted, he faces severe penalties under the Espionage Act.
“This case underscores the persistent and evolving threat posed by insider actors,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement posted on X. “The FBI remains resolute in its mission to safeguard national security and is grateful for the close coordination with our law enforcement partners in this case.”
The incident adds to a growing list of high-profile breaches involving personnel within U.S. intelligence and defense circles.
In August 2024, a Pentagon employee, Gokhan Gun, was arrested while attempting to leave the country with documents classified as ‘Top Secret’. He was charged with unauthorized retention of national defense information.
In a widely publicized case last year, Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to leaking hundreds of classified documents via the social media platform Discord. The leaks included sensitive intelligence related to the war in Ukraine and global surveillance efforts.
Federal authorities continue to emphasize the importance of vigilance and internal accountability within the national security community to mitigate the risk of insider threats.
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