Pentagon worker detained over attempting to leak confidentials over Trump grievances
(MENAFN)
A U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) employee has been arrested for allegedly trying to pass classified information to a foreign government due to his disapproval of former President Donald Trump’s policies, according to the Department of Justice.
A U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) employee has been arrested for allegedly trying to pass classified information to a foreign government due to his disapproval of former President Donald Trump’s policies, according to the Department of Justice.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, a 28-year-old IT specialist from Alexandria, Virginia, was taken into custody following an FBI sting operation. Employed by the DIA since 2019 and working in its Insider Threat Division, Laatsch is accused of attempting to transmit sensitive information to someone he believed was affiliated with a foreign government.
The FBI began investigating Laatsch in March after receiving a tip regarding his intentions. According to intercepted communications, Laatsch expressed ideological opposition to the Trump administration, stating, “The recent actions of the current administration are extremely disturbing to me… I intend to act to support the values that the United States at one time stood for.”
Undercover FBI agents posed as foreign operatives and communicated with Laatsch, who allegedly began copying classified material by hand during work hours. He then smuggled the notes out by hiding them in his socks and lunchbox. On May 1, he reportedly left a thumb drive containing classified documents, marked ‘Secret’ and ‘Top Secret,’ at a designated drop site in a Virginia park. He also expressed a desire to seek citizenship in the foreign country, citing pessimism about the U.S.'s future.
Laatsch was apprehended at a later drop-off site and is set to appear in court in Alexandria. The foreign country involved has not been identified, but the DOJ described it as an American ally.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the importance of countering insider threats, saying the agency remains committed to protecting national security.
Laatsch’s arrest is the latest in a string of high-profile security breaches by U.S. intelligence personnel. Past cases include Gokhan Gun, who was caught trying to travel to Mexico with classified material, and Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, sentenced to 15 years for leaking sensitive Pentagon documents online.
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