Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, a TS/SCI cleared systems administrator for a government contracting firm in Annapolis Junction, MD, was arrested following an FBI search on January 8, that recovered evidence confirming his unauthorized access and removal of classified materials from a SCIF. The company detected the activity, evidencing an active insider risk program, leading to FBI involvement and charges under the Espionage Act for unlawful retention of national defense information.
Perez-Lugones Activity
The criminal complaint and affidavit (shared by Seamus Hughes of Courtwatch), filed January 9, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, outlines a clear sequence of unauthorized actions. Perez-Lugones, holding Top Secret/SCI clearance, first accessed classified intelligence reports on an unidentified foreign country without need-to-know on October 28, 2025. By November 2025, the activity escalated: screenshots taken, documents printed, classifications markings clipped, and materials physically removed from the SCIF, while monitoring and surveillance increased.
On January 7, he was observed taking handwritten notes derived from classified reports. As stated in the affidavit, “Perez-Lugones had no need to know and was not authorized to search for, access, view, screenshot or print any of this information.” The FBI searched his Laurel home and vehicle on January 8 and recovered a document marked “SECRET” inside Perez-Lugones’ lunchbox in his car, with additional SECRET-marked materials found in his basement. These items are directly related to national defense information that are tied back to the monitored accesses.
The 63-year-old Navy veteran (1982–2002) now faces up to 10 years under 18 U.S.C. § 793(e) for unlawful retention of national defense information. His initial appearance was January 9, with a detention hearing set for January 15 in Baltimore.
Context on Timing and Potential Relevance
Recent reporting confirms that the FBI executed a search warrant at the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on January 14, 2026, believing she may have been the recipient of classified information allegedly purloined by Perez-Lugones. The warrant itself identified the ongoing investigation into Perez-Lugones as the basis for the search, and the content of the warrant was subsequently confirmed by The Washington Post through its direct review of the document. Agents seized Natanson’s cellphone, personal and work-issued laptops, and Garmin smartwatch, though authorities informed her she is not the primary target or subject of charges. A DOJ official, granted anonymity to discuss details of the investigation, told POLITICO that Perez-Lugones was communicating with Natanson on his mobile device at the time of his arrest.
Based on open-source research, one may deduce that Venezuela is the country of interest. Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones’ activities in late October align with the increase in U.S. naval disposition to the Caribbean, and align with his repeated note taking of early January 2026 following the rendition of Maduro from Venezuela. Whether or not Perez-Lugones’ information formed a basis or served as a resource for articles on Venezuela to which Natanson contributed and which the Post indicates are based on “government documents” during these same timeframes has not been determined.
We’ve Seen This Before
This isn’t new territory; individuals have broken trust in the past involving unauthorized retention of classified materials that are subsequently shared with media.
- Former CIA Director David Petraeus shared classified materials with his paramour and biographer, pleading to a misdemeanor with no jail time.
- CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling received 30 months for disclosing details of a covert operation against Iran to New York Times reporter James Risen.
- CIA’s John Kiriakou served 30 months for revealing a colleague’s identity to media in connection with the capture and interrogation of Abu Zubaydah.
- FBI Special Agent Terry Albury was sentenced to 48 months for sharing classified documents on FBI surveillance practices with The Intercept.
- Former NSA contractor Reality Winner, who printed and transmitted a report on Russian election interference to The Intercept, received 63 months as part of a negotiated plea deal.
Insider Risk Program
The insider risk program, mandated by NISPOM and DCID, did their job here by detecting Perez-Lugones activities.
