🧵Looks like someone, perhaps more than one person, got caught with their hand in the TS/SCI cookie jar.
United States v. Perez-Lugones
1 count of 18 USC 793(e)
Retention of National Defense Information
Might see that more charges added (probably will)
Perez-Lugones is former US Navy, working as a govt contractor since 2002, has a TS/SCI clearance.
He is a sys admin for a a company that contracts to a gov't agency and whose workplace is within another government contracting company.
He has access to classified information as part of his job.
But only as needed. He is not authorized to access classified information whenever he wants to.
In October of 2025, Perez-Lugones searched classified databases for intelligence reports.
He found them. He took a screenshot. Saved that screenshot as "Microsoft Word - Document 1" and printed it.
"Notably"
When you see "notably" in docs like this followed by a mundane detail...
It's foreshadowing.
See? Told ya.
:)
Perez-Lugones was not authorized to do any of this.
And his activity was monitored.
His employer was able to examine his printing activity and see that he had printed "classified and sensitive reports."
Plural.
January 5, 2026
(this is immediately after the Maduro raid...)
Perez-Lugones decided to start journaling about all the secret information he was viewing in a SCIF at work.
He then removed the pages from his workplace and took them home.
Bruh
He continued engaging in this activity over the next several days.
January 8, 2026
Court-authorized searches are conducted at the Perez-Lugones home, in his vehicle, "and other locations."
Hmm... wonder what the "other locations" are. Might just be his office, but I would think they would say that.
Investigators find classified documents in Perez-Lugones' basement and in his lunchbox.
Bruh.
Perez-Lugones was taken into custody on January 9, 2026.
He was initially given a bond and pretrial release BUT the order was STAYED pending an appeal by DOJ, which they filed on January 13, 2026.
He's still in custody. DOJ argues he is a national security risk because he has accessed and knows so much classified/sensitive information.
Affidavit
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
DOJ appeal
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
Now, relatedly...
This also just happened.
The home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson has been searched in connection to this case.
So her home might be the "other places" that were mentioned in the probable cause affidavit for Perez-Lugones.
I took a look at Natanson's recent reporting.
Since at least November 11, 2025, she has had a focus on one nation: Venezuela.
So I think it is a possibility that Country-1 from the affidavit is Venezuela.
Can't be 100% on that, but it's possible.
archive.is/dwcEj
She also published a story on Christmas Eve about how many sources she suddenly had.
archive.is/mkrk7
Natanson was at home during the search. Her devices were taken.
According to the Washington Post, "Investigators told Natanson that she is not the focus of the probe."
And I'm sure that's true, at least at this time.
But... if investigators find evidence that she encouraged, requested, or otherwise was involved in Perez-Lugones fetching the national defense information that he is at this time charged with retaining... the focus may evolve.
I can't help but note Kash's word choice here.
Arrest of Defense Contractor Leads to Search of WaPo Journalist's Home and Seizure of Devices
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