ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Defense Intelligence Agency employee was arrested Wednesday for allegedly attempting to transmit national defense information to a foreign government, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, was taken into custody in northern Virginia and is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Thursday. Laatsch, an IT specialist employed by the DIA since 2019, held a Top Secret security clearance and worked in the Insider Threat Division.
‘I am an officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) serving in a technical role in support of our internal Officer of Security (SEC),
‘The recent actions of the current administration are extremely disturbing to me
‘I do not agree or align with the values of this administration and intend to act to support the values that the United States at one time stood for.
‘To this end, I am willing to share classified information that I have access to, which are completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.’
Laatsch allegedly sought citizenship in exchange for intelligence
On May 1, Laatsch allegedly placed a thumb drive containing a message and multiple documents marked Secret or Top Secret at a drop location in a northern Virginia park. The documents included samples intended to “demonstrate the range of types of products” accessible to him, according to the Justice Department.
Following confirmation that the drive had been received, Laatsch indicated in a May 7 message that he sought “citizenship for your country,” expressing dissatisfaction with conditions in the U.S. He added that while he was not opposed to “other compensation,” material rewards were not a priority.
From May 15 to May 27, Laatsch allegedly continued removing classified notes from his secure workstation by folding and concealing them in his clothing. On May 29, he was arrested after attempting to deliver additional documents at another prearranged drop site.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with support from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg and DOJ trial attorneys Christina Clark and Mark Murphy are prosecuting the case.