The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Monica Witt, a former U.S. Air Force special agent charged in 2019 with espionage related to sharing highly classified U.S. intelligence with Iran.
Witt, who served as a counterintelligence specialist, allegedly defected to Iran in 2013. The FBI’s Washington Field Office urged the public on May 14, 2026, to come forward with any information about her whereabouts during what it described as a critical moment in Iran’s history.
Details of the Espionage Charges
Federal prosecutors allege that Witt disclosed information about a classified Defense Department program to the Iranian government. They claim she assisted Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite military organization responsible for advancing Tehran’s global influence, by helping target her former U.S. intelligence colleagues.
Witt enlisted in the Air Force in 1997 and left in 2008, later working as a Defense Department contractor until 2010. In 2012, she reportedly traveled to Iran to attend a conference that criticized American values and promoted anti-U.S. propaganda. She returned to Iran in 2013, where authorities say she was provided housing and computer equipment by Iranian officials before commencing espionage activities.
The 2019 indictment also charged four Iranian nationals with conspiracy and aggravated identity theft for assisting Witt in gathering intelligence on other U.S. government personnel.
Why it matters
Monica Witt’s alleged breach of national security highlights persistent risks posed by insiders and the potential for foreign adversaries to exploit former U.S. personnel. As geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran remain high, the FBI’s continued efforts to locate Witt emphasize the ongoing importance of counterintelligence vigilance.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source:
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