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A U.S. government employee was charged with attempting to send classified information to a foreign government for being anti-Trump

Prosecutors detailed that the 28-year-old specialist, who resides in Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested at the exact location where he had previously agreed to deposit secret documents.

Department of Justice

Department of JusticeAFP

Published by
Luis Francisco Orozco

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reported Thursday that an information technology specialist at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) named Nathan Vilas Laatsch was formally charged with attempting to send classified information to an agent of a foreign government for not feeling in line with the "values" of the current Administration of President Donald Trump. Prosecutors detailed that the 28-year-old specialist, who resides in Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested at the exact location where he had previously agreed to deposit secret documents related to national defense to a subject he believed to be a foreign government official, but was actually an undercover FBI agent.

While the DOJ did not disclose the identity of the country with which Laatsch believed he was in contact, it did describe it as a country allied or friendly to the United States. Similarly, the DOJ did not detail in its statement on the incident whether the 28-year-old, who was scheduled to appear in court on FridayMay 29, had an attorney who could represent him and speak officially on his behalf.

Details about the investigation.

In its statement, the DOJdetailed that its investigation into the IT specialist began in March, shortly after authorities received a tip that Laatsch had offered to provide classified documents to another country. According to what prosecutors revealed, the 28-year-old wrote in an email that he "did not agree or align with the values of this administration”", and that he was even completely willing to pass on secret information, including intelligence documents.

The DOJ detailed that eventually, an undercover agent contacted the DIA member, who began transcribing secret information in a notebook and even began making plans to provide such information in a park so that, whoever he thought was a foreign government agent, could pick it up. After several deliveries andmaking new plans for future supplies of classified information, Laatsch was arrested.

Only one thing in return

Prosecutors noted that in one of the deliveries made this month, the 28-year-old dropped off a USB drive containing numerous typed "Secret and Top Secret" documents. They also detailed that Laatsch told the undercover FBI agent that all he wanted in return was citizenship of the country to which he believed he was providing the classified information.
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