A federal employee working in the Defense Intelligence Agency’s (DIA) Insider Threat Division was arrested Thursday on allegations of leaking top-secret national security data to a foreign government.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, from Alexandria, Virginia, was detained close to Washington, D.C., and is slated for his first court appearance tomorrow. According to court filings, Laatsch began working at the DIA in 2019 and had access to highly sensitive information in his role.
The investigation began in March when the FBI received a tip that someone was willing to provide classified information to a “friendly” foreign power. In an email, Laatsch admitted he disagreed with the current administration and was ready to share intelligence, including completed and unprocessed materials, as well as other confidential documents.
Believing he was dealing with a representative of a foreign country, Laatsch repeatedly passed classified material to an undercover FBI agent over several days. He started by copying classified details onto a notepad while at work.
“Laatsch later told the undercover agent he was prepared to deliver the information,” federal prosecutors noted in a statement.
The FBI staged a drop-off operation at a public park, where Laatsch was seen leaving behind a thumb drive containing a note and several documents marked up to Secret and Top Secret. He claimed this was a “representative sample” of the kind of data he could provide.
On May 7, once the drop-off was confirmed, Laatsch reached out again to request payment for additional leaks. The following day, he expressed interest in acquiring citizenship in the foreign country because he didn’t see a future in the U.S. While he said he wasn’t motivated by money, he was open to “other forms of compensation.”
Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch continued to provide classified material during arranged meet-ups. On May 29, he attempted another handoff at a location in northern Virginia but was arrested as soon as the FBI secured the documents.
Laatsch remains in custody, and charges are expected to be formally announced soon.
