FBI Raids Washington Post Reporters Home in Leak Probe

Federal agents raided the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on January 14, seizing several electronic devices as part of an investigation into the alleged mishandling of classified information by a Pentagon contractor. The search, conducted under a warrant, targeted devices owned by Natanson and the newspaper, but agents were unable to access data on her iPhone due to Apple's Lockdown Mode security feature.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation acted on suspicions that Natanson had received leaked classified materials from Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a systems engineer for a Maryland-based government contractor holding top-secret clearance. Prosecutors allege Perez-Lugones unlawfully retained national defense documents, including secret reports found in his residence and vehicle, such as one inside a lunchbox. He faces charges of unlawful retention but has not been accused of leaking the information to the press. Natanson, who covers federal government operations and contributed to the Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, is not a target of the probe, according to the newspaper.