Federal Bureau of Investigation agents executed a search warrant at the Virginia residence of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson this week, as part of an expanding probe into unauthorized disclosure of classified defense information. The operation, confirmed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi via social media, targeted a journalist allegedly “obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor.”
The investigation centers on Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based systems administrator with top-secret security clearance who has worked as a government IT specialist since 2002. According to FBI affidavits, Perez-Lugones allegedly accessed and printed classified intelligence reports without authorization. During a search of his vehicle, investigators reportedly discovered classified materials concealed within a lunch box. Court documents indicate he faces charges of unlawful retention of national defense information, with an initial court appearance scheduled for Thursday.
Notably, Natanson was informed she is not the primary focus of the investigation. Federal agents nevertheless confiscated her mobile phone, both work and personal computers, and a Garmin smartwatch during the search operation.
The Justice Department’s actions have ignited immediate concerns among press freedom advocates. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, warned that “any search targeting a journalist warrants intense scrutiny because these kinds of searches can deter and impede reporting that is vital to our democracy.”
This development follows Attorney General Bondi’s April decision to reverse Biden-era protections that had shielded journalists from having their phone records seized or being compelled to testify in leak investigations. The Trump administration has maintained a firm stance against unauthorized disclosures, with Bondi emphasizing that the government “will not tolerate illegal leaks of classified information that, when reported, pose a grave risk to our Nation’s national security.”
Natanson has established herself as a prominent chronicler of federal workforce transformations, having developed over 1,000 sources within government agencies during her reporting on the Trump administration’s extensive restructuring of federal employment through layoffs, buyouts, and terminations.