A man working inside one of America’s most secure intelligence divisions—tasked with catching insider threats—just got caught being the insider threat.
On May 29, 2025, federal agents arrested 28-year-old Nathan Vilas Laatsch, an IT specialist for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), for allegedly attempting to leak highly classified military information to a foreign country.
TREASON ALERT! Anti-Trump DoD IT specialist Nathan Laatsch, BUSTED for allegedly trying to leak Top Secret info to a foreign government
He was caught by the FBI after emailing classified docs, and asking for citizenship because he hates the current administration
BYE BYE… pic.twitter.com/dvxVzlI9lB
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 30, 2025
His arrest wasn’t some fluke or misunderstanding. It came after weeks of surveillance and a carefully planned FBI sting.
Here’s the kicker: Laatsch worked in the Insider Threat Division—literally the department responsible for stopping people like… well, him.
The Betrayal from Within
Laatsch wasn’t just some contractor passing through. He had a top-level TS/SCI security clearance—one of the highest available.
That kind of access isn’t handed out lightly. It means he had eyes on some of the most sensitive defense information in the U.S. government.
And instead of protecting it, he tried to sell it.
Court records say Laatsch snuck classified information out of his workplace by writing it down and hiding it in his socks and lunchbox.
On May 1, he dropped off a thumb drive full of nine classified documents in an Arlington park—thinking he was handing them off to a foreign agent.
But the “foreign agent” turned out to be an undercover FBI operative.
Why Did He Do It?
According to emails cited by federal prosecutors, Laatsch wasn’t motivated by money or blackmail.
He was motivated by politics.
In one message, he wrote:
“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.”
In short: he didn’t like President Trump, didn’t agree with the direction the country was headed, and decided that gave him the right to betray it.
He even offered to provide more classified information in exchange for citizenship in the foreign country, which has been reported as Germany.
Germany may be an ally, but leaking Top Secret intelligence—regardless of who’s receiving it—puts American lives and operations at risk.
And it’s a crime, plain and simple.
FBI Sting Ends the Scheme
The FBI moved quickly. After receiving a tip in March, agents began posing as foreign officials and started corresponding with Laatsch.
He was confident—maybe too confident.
In one email, he bragged about how his position in the Insider Threat Division would tip him off if anyone began investigating him.
Turns out, it wasn’t all that hard.
When he showed up to deliver a second batch of documents at a northern Virginia drop site on May 29, agents were waiting. He was arrested on the spot.
The Espionage Charges
Laatsch now faces charges under the Espionage Act, a law designed to protect national security secrets. If convicted, he could face decades behind bars.
Justice Department officials called his actions a “profound betrayal” of the country.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the case is a reminder that insider threats are very real and very dangerous.
Time for Accountability
The truth is, the federal government is filled with professionals who do their jobs with integrity.
But cases like this remind us that blind trust isn’t enough. Oversight and accountability matter.
President Trump has made it a priority in his second term to clean house and make sure public servants serve the public—not their personal agendas.
Final Thoughts
Nathan Laatsch didn’t just break the law—he broke faith with the country he swore to serve.
He thought his politics justified his betrayal.
He thought he was too smart to get caught.
He was wrong on both counts.
Loyalty to America doesn’t mean agreeing with every policy. It means following the law, respecting the system, and remembering that serving your country means putting it first—not yourself.
Laatsch forgot that. Now he’ll likely have plenty of time behind bars to think it over.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
