Former Intelligence employee opposed to Trump tried to hand over classified information to a foreign government

A former federal government employee pleaded guilty to transmitting national defense information to a foreign government. The individual in question is Nathan Vilas Laatsch, a 29-year-old IT specialist who worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) within the Department of Defense.

Laatsch had joined the DIA as a civilian employee in 2019, and his work involved detecting internal threats within the U.S. military intelligence agency. Due to his line of work, he held a "Top Secret" security clearance.

The investigation began after authorities received information about Laatsch's plans, and he was uncovered following fieldwork conducted by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Laatsch began offering classified information to a purported representative of a foreign government. However, the contact was actually an undercover FBI agent.

On May 1, 2025, Laatsch left a USB drive in a park in Northern Virginia for the alleged foreign representative to pick up. The drive contained documents classified as "Secret" and "Top Secret," as well as a message explaining that he had selected a sample to demonstrate the type and scope of the information to which he had access.

After that first delivery, he asked what he could receive in exchange for continuing to provide information and expressed interest in obtaining citizenship in the foreign country, though he also said he would not object to receiving financial compensation.

The operation continued throughout May. Between the 15th and 27th of that month, Laatsch again copied information from a computer and removed classified information from his workplace, hiding it among his clothes. On May 29, he went to another agreed-upon location to hand over classified documents, but the FBI arrested him on the spot.

Case documents also reveal that Laatsch disagreed with the administration of President Donald Trump. In one of the messages sent to the alleged foreign representative, he stated that he did not share the values of the Administration and that he was willing to hand over classified information to "support the values that the United States once stood for."

"U.S. government employees entrusted with our nation’s secrets must always protect our nation’s security, not cavalierly toss aside this responsibility out of disagreement, selfishness or greed," said Attorney General Todd Blanche on the matter.

"Laatsch faces serious consequences for violating his position of trust. This case shows that if you unlawfully disclose national defense information, we will find you and hold you accountable to the fullest extent the law allow," he added.

Roman Rozhavsky, deputy director of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, noted the following: "By his own admission, Laatsch betrayed his oath by offering classified information to a foreign government, the very thing he was supposed to prevent as an employee of DIA’s Insider Threat Division."

On Thursday, Laatsch pleaded guilty to transmitting national defense information to a foreign government, a crime for which the maximum penalty is life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27, 2027, in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.