Defense Intelligence Agency Employee Charged With Trying To Send Classified Data To Foreign Government

FBI officials announced Thursday that a 28-year-old Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) employee was arrested for allegedly attempting to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government, according to a press release.

The suspect, identified as Nathan Vilas Laatsch, was arrested in northern Virginia following an investigation launched after a tip that someone had “offered to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government.” In a statement posted to X, FBI Director Kash Patel said the case highlights “the persistent risk of insider threats.”

“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,” Patel wrote.

According to officials, court documents show Laatsch had been employed by the DIA since 2019, working in its Insider Threat Division and holding a Top Secret security clearance.

In March, the FBI received a tip about a potential threat and discovered an email in which the sender said he did not “agree or align with the values of this administration” and was “willing to share classified information,” including “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence and other assorted classified documentation.”

Laatsch unknowingly began communicating with an undercover FBI agent, believing they were an official of the foreign government. The 28-year-old allegedly transcribed classified information onto a notepad at his desk and, over the course of approximately three days, repeatedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace.