Virginia Defense Intelligence Employee Arrested for Attempted Espionage

A civilian employee of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested Thursday on charges of attempting to transmit classified information to what he believed was a foreign government, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced, as per Fox News.

Nathan Laatsch, 28, an IT specialist with the DIA’s Insider Threat Division, was taken into custody after an FBI sting operation revealed he had been preparing to share sensitive national security material. Employed by the DIA since 2019, Laatsch held a top-secret security clearance.

The investigation began in March 2025 after the FBI received an anonymous tip indicating that an individual — later identified as Laatsch — was willing to provide classified intelligence to a foreign nation deemed friendly to the United States. The tipster claimed Laatsch did not “agree or align with the values” of the Trump administration and was willing to share intelligence he had access to, including processed and unprocessed intelligence reports.

Following the tip, Laatsch entered into multiple communications with an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of the foreign government. According to court documents, Laatsch confirmed his readiness to pass along classified data, some of which he had copied by hand onto a notepad at his desk.

Over a three-day period, Laatsch allegedly exfiltrated classified information from his workplace in preparation for a scheduled drop. On or around May 1, the FBI observed Laatsch depositing an item in a northern Virginia park, where agents later retrieved a thumb drive. The device contained a message from Laatsch, along with several typed documents marked as Secret and Top Secret. In his message, Laatsch stated he was providing a “decent sample size” of classified content to demonstrate his access level.

On May 7, after confirming that the thumb drive had been picked up, Laatsch allegedly contacted the undercover agent to inquire about compensation, expressing interest in obtaining citizenship in the foreign country. He reportedly explained that he did not expect conditions in the United States to improve and was seeking “other compensation,” though he said he did not urgently need material rewards.

Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch continued transcribing additional classified information and smuggling it out of his office hidden in his clothing, according to the DOJ. On Thursday, he arrived at a prearranged location to make another drop — where he was arrested by FBI agents upon handing over the classified materials.

Laatsch now faces federal charges related to the attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign agent, a serious offense under U.S. espionage laws.