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Nathan Laatsch, a 28-year-old IT geek at the Defense Intelligence Agency, decided he didn’t “agree or align” with the Trump administration’s values and thought the best way to stick it to 'the man' was to try peddling classified information to a foreign government.
According to the DOJ, Laatsch, who’s been a DIA employee since 2019 with a top-secret clearance, got nabbed in Virginia on Thursday after the FBI got a tip back in March 2025. Apparently, this guy was itching to share “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation” because, you know, he’s got a beef with the current administration.
According to the DOJ, Laatsch, who’s been a DIA employee since 2019 with a top-secret clearance, got nabbed in Virginia on Thursday after the FBI got a tip back in March 2025. Apparently, this guy was itching to share “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation” because, you know, he’s got a beef with the current administration.
Shades of Edward Snowden.
The FBI, doing what they do best, set up a sting operation. Laatsch thought he was chatting up a foreign agent, but surprise, it was an FBI undercover operative.
The feds arranged a drop-off at a park in northern Virginia, because nothing screams “covert” like a public park, right? On or around May 1, the geek dropped a thumb drive loaded with a message and documents marked Secret and Top Secret. His note was a cocky little boast about providing “a decent sample size” of classified goodies to show off what he could access.
By May 7, after the thumb drive was “retrieved,” Laatsch, got greedy, hinting he wanted something in return. The next day, he laid it out: “citizenship for your country” because he’s not optimistic about America’s future. Oh, and he’s “not opposed to other compensation” but doesn’t need “material compensation.” So it appears the dude has principles, but he’s not above a little side hustle.
From May 15 to May 27, he kept at it, scribbling more secrets and sneaking them out by stuffing notes in his clothes like a kid hiding candy. Finally, on Thursday, he showed up at another prearranged drop spot, ready to hand over the goods. The FBI swooped in causing him to soil his skivvies, and now he's cooling his heels, facing a court date on Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia.
The FBI, doing what they do best, set up a sting operation. Laatsch thought he was chatting up a foreign agent, but surprise, it was an FBI undercover operative.
Over multiple conversations, he bragged about transcribing classified info onto a notepad at his desk like he’s auditioning for a bad spy movie. The DOJ says he smuggled the stuff out of his workspace over three days, perhaps thinking he was saving the world.
The feds arranged a drop-off at a park in northern Virginia, because nothing screams “covert” like a public park, right? On or around May 1, the geek dropped a thumb drive loaded with a message and documents marked Secret and Top Secret. His note was a cocky little boast about providing “a decent sample size” of classified goodies to show off what he could access.
By May 7, after the thumb drive was “retrieved,” Laatsch, got greedy, hinting he wanted something in return. The next day, he laid it out: “citizenship for your country” because he’s not optimistic about America’s future. Oh, and he’s “not opposed to other compensation” but doesn’t need “material compensation.” So it appears the dude has principles, but he’s not above a little side hustle.
From May 15 to May 27, he kept at it, scribbling more secrets and sneaking them out by stuffing notes in his clothes like a kid hiding candy. Finally, on Thursday, he showed up at another prearranged drop spot, ready to hand over the goods. The FBI swooped in causing him to soil his skivvies, and now he's cooling his heels, facing a court date on Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia.
I suspect he'll be losing his top secret clearance and probably his freedom as well.
Look, we all know that politics can make people lose their minds. But going full Benedict Arnold because you don’t vibe with the administration? That’s a special kind of stupid.
Look, we all know that politics can make people lose their minds. But going full Benedict Arnold because you don’t vibe with the administration? That’s a special kind of stupid.
Laatsch thought he was outsmarting everyone, but all he did was gift-wrap his future for the feds. Maybe next time, stick to angry Reddit threads, pal.
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