Overview
- Agents executed a warrant at Hannah Natanson’s Virginia home, seizing two laptops, a phone, and a Garmin watch, and told her she is not a target of the probe.
- The search is tied to Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland system administrator charged with unlawfully retaining national defense information after documents marked secret were found in his home and car.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi said the operation was conducted at the Pentagon’s request and that the alleged leaker is in custody, while FBI Director Kash Patel alleged the reporting endangered national security.
- The Washington Post said it also received a subpoena related to the contractor case as newsroom leaders and press-freedom groups condemned the search as an unusually aggressive step.
- Court filings do not allege Perez-Lugones provided classified material to the media, and press advocates note such searches are rare under laws and guidelines intended to protect newsgathering.