A U.S. government employee has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide classified national defense information to a foreign government, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was taken into custody following an undercover FBI operation. Laatsch, a civilian employee in the Insider Threat Division of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) since 2019, held a Top Secret security clearance and is accused of transmitting classified materials to someone he believed was a foreign agent.
According to court records, the FBI launched an investigation in March 2025 after receiving a tip that Laatsch had reached out to a foreign government offering to share national defense information. In the email, the sender expressed ideological opposition to the current U.S. administration and stated he was “willing to share classified information” in his possession, including “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.”
Laatsch allegedly engaged in a series of communications with an undercover FBI agent posing as a foreign official. He began copying classified material onto a notepad at his DIA desk and smuggled it out over several days. He later confirmed to the agent that he was ready to hand over the information.
The FBI arranged a drop operation at a park in northern Virginia, where Laatsch believed he was delivering the materials for retrieval. Over the following weeks, he reportedly provided both written and digital copies of documents marked Secret and Top Secret. The thumb drive included a note expressing dissatisfaction with the United States and requesting help obtaining foreign citizenship.
Laatsch allegedly told the agent, “I will continue to show my value,” and indicated he was willing to keep sharing intelligence.
He is expected to appear in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia. If convicted, Laatsch faces serious prison time under charges related to the Espionage Act. The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and support from the DIA.
