U.S. intelligence worker arrested for trying to leak classified files abroad.
A 28-year-old man working for a U.S. intelligence agency was arrested in Virginia for trying to share secret government files with another country. His name is Nathan Vilas Laatsch. He had been working for the Defense Intelligence Agency, which handles sensitive information related to national security. Laatsch had a top-level security clearance and worked in a part of the agency responsible for identifying threats from within.
The FBI started watching him after they got a tip that someone had offered to hand over classified information. Laatsch had sent a message to what he thought was a foreign contact, saying he didn’t support the current U.S. administration and was willing to share secret documents. He claimed to have access to finished reports, raw data, and other files. He began to copy some of these materials by hand and take them out of the agency’s building over a few days.
What Laatsch didn’t know was that the person he thought was a foreign agent was actually an undercover FBI agent. After their conversations continued, the FBI arranged a meeting location where Laatsch believed he could leave the documents for pickup. On May 1, FBI agents saw him go to a park in northern Virginia and drop off an item. When agents recovered it, they found a thumb drive with a message and several documents marked as classified or top secret. He told the agent that the samples showed the kind of information he could keep sending.
Later, Laatsch asked for something in return. He said he was interested in citizenship in the other country because he had little hope for the future in the United States. While he said he didn’t need money, he wasn’t against getting other benefits. He seemed more focused on leaving the country than on getting paid.
On May 14, the undercover agent told Laatsch they were ready to get more documents. Over the next two weeks, Laatsch copied more information at work, folded up the notes, and snuck them out by hiding them in his clothes. On May 29, he went to another meeting point with the plan to drop off even more secret files. That’s when the FBI moved in and arrested him.
Officials from several federal agencies spoke about the arrest. They explained that this kind of behavior puts national security at risk. They said they would keep working to find and stop people who try to leak sensitive information. The Defense Intelligence Agency also helped with the investigation, and their cooperation was noted by officials.
Laatsch has been charged with trying to pass national defense information to someone he believed worked for another country. His court case will be held in the Eastern District of Virginia. As of now, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The case shows how serious it is when someone working in government decides to break the rules. It also shows how carefully law enforcement has to work when dealing with possible threats from inside. The FBI used an undercover operation to make sure that the information never actually left U.S. hands. In the end, Laatsch’s decision to go through with the act led to his arrest before any damage was done.
This kind of betrayal, even when it doesn’t lead to a successful leak, raises concerns about who is given access to the country’s most sensitive information. It’s a reminder that trust must be matched with constant checks, and anyone who chooses to break that trust will face consequences.
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