Federal agents executed a search warrant at the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on Wednesday as part of an inquiry into leaked classified documents, the outlet reported.
The search, which occurred early in the morning, involved seizing Natanson’s phone, two computers, and a Garmin watch. It stems from an investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based system administrator and government contractor with top-secret clearance since 2002. He faces charges of illegally retaining national defense information and is detained pending a court appearance on Thursday.
Authorities allege Perez-Lugones accessed a top-secret intelligence report on a foreign country in October 2025, took screenshots, and compiled them into a Word document. He also reportedly took notes from a classified system earlier this month. Investigators discovered secret-marked documents in his car, lunchbox, and basement during searches of his home and vehicle.
Prosecutors argued in a Tuesday filing that his release could lead to further dissemination of sensitive information.
Court filings contain no claims that Perez-Lugones shared materials with any media outlet.
Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledged the search of the journalist’s home in an X post, stating it was initiated at the Department of War’s request.
“This past week, at the request of the Department of War, the Department of Justice and FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor,” Bondi wrote. “The leaker is currently behind bars. I am proud to work alongside Secretary Hegseth on this effort. The Trump Administration will not tolerate illegal leaks of classified information that, when reported, pose a grave risk to our Nation’s national security and the brave men and women who are serving our country.”
Natanson, who reports on the Trump administration’s federal restructuring, recently detailed in a first-person article her role as a “federal government whisperer,” amassing 1,169 Signal contacts from affected workers to build her source base. A person familiar with the matter said she was informed she is not the investigation’s target.
The action has drawn criticism from press advocates, highlighting its rarity as the first known journalist home search in a leak case in years.
“This extraordinary, aggressive action is deeply concerning and raises profound questions and concern around the constitutional protections for our work,” Post editor Matt Murray said in a staff memo, CNN reported.
