On May 29, 2025, Nathan Vilas Laatsch, a 28-year-old information technology specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), was arrested for allegedly attempting to transmit classified information to a foreign government. Laatsch, who held a Top Secret security clearance and worked within the DIA’s Insider Threat Division, was apprehended in Alexandria, Virginia, after a sting operation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the investigation into Laatsch began in March 2025 following a tip that he intended to provide classified materials to a foreign nation. Laatsch had expressed ideological disagreements with the current U.S. administration, stating in communications that he did not align with its values and wished to support the ideals he believed the United States once represented.
Undercover FBI agents, posing as representatives of the unnamed allied foreign government, engaged with Laatsch, who proceeded to transcribe classified information onto a notepad and prepared to deliver additional materials. In early May, Laatsch left a thumb drive containing documents marked as Secret and Top Secret at a predetermined drop-off location in a northern Virginia park. He also expressed interest in obtaining citizenship from the foreign country, citing concerns about the long-term trajectory of the United States.
Laatsch was arrested during a subsequent planned drop-off on May 29. He is scheduled to appear in court in Alexandria, Virginia. As of now, it is unclear whether he has legal representation. The case underscores ongoing concerns about insider threats within U.S. intelligence agencies.
This incident follows previous high-profile cases of classified information leaks, including that of Jack Teixeira, a former Air National Guardsman who was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2024 for leaking top-secret documents online.
The Department of Justice continues to investigate the matter, emphasizing the seriousness of unauthorized disclosures of national defense information.
