Rudy Giuliani, who served as mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, mourned the death of former New York City Police Department Commissioner Bernard "Bernie" Kerik on Thursday, describing the grief of losing his "best friend" and a "true patriot" as "inexpressible."Kerik died at 69 years old "after a private battle with illness," according to FBI Director Kash Patel.Kerik and Giuliani were prominent figures during and after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City due to their leadership roles in the city, and they quickly became close friends."On September 11th, Bernie Kerik and I saved each other's lives. If we weren't already friends, that bound us together forever. He was my best friend, a true Patriot, and one of the bravest men I've ever known," Giuliani wrote in a statement.BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER AND 9/11 FIGURE, DIES AT 69Giuliani said Kerik was at his side "within 20 minutes of the attack" on 9/11 and "never left."The first collapse trapped both of them in a building for what Giuliani thinks was 20 to 30 minutes, but they were able to escape safely with "substantial additional assistance" and "extraordinary bravery" an attitude that Giuliani said "permeated the way" for recovery over the next four months."Bernie's leadership helped guide the people of a very frightened city to draw from their inherent individual strength as Americans and children of God," Giuliani said on Thursday.He also praised Kerik's career in law enforcement, specifically pointing out his role as Commissioner of Rikers Island, where he was able to reduce violence in the prison by 90%, and his role as NYPD commissioner, where he reduced crime in the city."He was driven by an unwavering love of this country and a commitment to serving others. He was one of the most decorated New York City police officers of his time," he said.FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER CALLS ON POLITICAL LEADERS TO 'GET OUT THERE' AND 'DEESCALATE' VIOLENCEKerik's 35-year career has been recognized with more than 100 awards for meritorious and heroic service, including a presidential commendation for heroism by President Ronald Reaganandtwo Distinguished Service Awards from the Department of Homeland Security.He was considered for the role of Homeland Security chief in 2004, but lied to the White House during vetting, which ultimately led to him pleading guilty to eight felonies, including tax fraud, in 2009. He spent about three years in prison, then moved to home confinement and, later, supervised release.President Donald Trump pardoned him of the convictions in 2020.Kerik worked with Giuliani again to investigate claims of election fraud following the 2020 presidential election.Giuliani expressed his condolences to Kerik's wife, his two daughters and his son who is also a police officer and said he believes all of Kerik's friends and admirers are "much better for knowing him."Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

A government employee in Virginia was arrested on Thursday after he attempted to share classified information with an officer or agent of a foreign government, the Department of Justice announced.Nathan Laatsch, a 28-year-old IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency since 2019, was arrested after the FBI received a tip in March 2025 that someone was willing to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government.Laatsch was a civilian employee in the DIA's Insider Threat Division and held a top secret security clearance, according to the DOJ.An email to the FBI said that the person later identified as Laatsch didn't "agree or align with the values" of the Trump administration, and would be willing to share classified information that he could access, including "completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation."DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTOR CHARGED AFTER PRINTING TOP SECRET DOCUMENTS, TRYING TO LEAVE WITH THEM TO MEXICOLaatsch communicated with an FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign government official, multiple times and would confirm that he was ready to share classified information that he transcribed onto a notepad at his desk, the DOJ said. He allegedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace multiple times over a three-day period in preparation.The FBI set up an operation at a northern Virginia park where Laatsch was to deposit classified information "for the foreign government to retrieve," according to the DOJ. He was observed by the FBI on or around May 1 depositing an item at the specified location.Once he left, the DOJ said FBI agents retrieved a thumb drive from the area found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents with information portion-marked for Secret or Top Secret levels. His message allegedly indicated that he was sharing "a decent sample size" of classified information to demonstrate the types of things he has access to.SUSPECT CHARGED IN LEAK OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS ON ISRAEL'S PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE IRAN STRIKEOn May 7, after Laatsch learned that the thumb drive had been retrieved, he allegedly sent a message to the undercover agent appearing to say that he was seeking something in exchange for providing the information.The following day, he specified that he was interested in "citizenship for your country" because he didn't expect things in America "to improve in the long term," the DOJ said. He also allegedly said he was "not opposed to other compensation," but not in a place where he needed "material compensation."Laatsch was told on May 14 by the FBI agent that the "foreign government" was ready for additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, he transcribed more information and began to remove it from the building by folding the notes and hiding them in his clothing.On Thursday, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia to drop the information off to the "foreign country." He was arrested once the FBI received the documents.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPHis first court appearance is scheduled for Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia.

The Austin Police Department has issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert for an inmate who escaped while on hold at a psychiatric hospital in Texas.McArthur Mathis was transported to The Cross Creek Psychiatric and Addiction Hospital on Wednesday after being in custody in Grimes County since he was arrested Jan. 2 on multiple warrants. Mathis is also a registered sex offender.Mathis is facing multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury to a family member, obstruction or retaliation, deadly conduct and burglary of a habitation.DEVIL IN THE OZARKS WHO ESCAPED PRISON LIKELY STILL IN ARKANSAS AREA: OFFICIALSPolice say they responded to an urgent welfare call at around 10:30 p.m. and learned that Mathis had allegedly kicked the back door open and jumped over a 6-foot fence.Mathis could be attempting to return to known contacts in Grimes, Lavaca, Brazos or Gonzales counties, the department said.LOUISIANA AG CONFIDENT REMAINING JAILBREAK FUGITIVES WILL BE RECAPTURED AFTER OFFICIALS MAKE 14TH ARRESTPolice also said Mathis should be considered armed and dangerous due to his criminal history.Anyone with information on Mathis is asked to contact the Grimes County Sheriffs Office at 936-873-2151, Grimes County Crimestoppers at (936) 873-2000, or www.p3tips.com.

Graphic content warningTwenty years have passed since 18-year-old Natalee Holloway of Alabama disappeared on May 30, 2005, during a senior trip to Aruba with her high school friends, but the Holloway family's private investigator says there are still many unanswered questions in the case.In 2023, 36-year-old Dutch national Joran van der Sloot, the primary suspect in Holloway's disappearance and murder, confessed to bashing the teenager's head with a brick and dumping her body in the ocean after she refused his advances."I smash her head in with it completely," van der Sloot said in an Oct. 3, 2023, interview with federal authorities. "Her face basically, you know, collapses in. Even though it's dark, I can see her face is collapsed in."TJ Ward, a private investigator hired by Holloway's family in 2005 and again in 2010, does not believe he acted alone.LESSONS LEARNED IN NATALEE HOLLOWAY DISAPPEARANCE APPLY TO SUDIKSHA KONANKI CASE: RETIRED FBI AGENT"Twenty years, can you believe that?" he told Fox News Digital in an interview this week, marking two decades since the 18-year-old graduate vanished from Carlos'n Charlie's, a restaurant and nightclub in Oranjestad, Aruba. "She had a bright future. She got a scholarship to go to college for medical school ubelievable."Ward does work for a voice analysis company based in Israel, which paid the private investigator to travel to Aruba after Holloway disappeared. There, he met with her parents as well as the FBI and Aruba authorities. Ward said he used the voice analysis technology on van de Sloot's existing interviews at the time and determined that he was lying to authorities and to the public.BETH HOLLOWAY ADDRESSES MISSING AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT, URGES 'FULL CIRCLE' SAFETY PLAN"We knew numerous times along the course of the investigation [and] over the last few years that Joran van der Sloot was not telling the truth," Ward said. "Thereafter, we started locating witnesses and talking and finding information that was going on with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, and we knew a lot of the information that Van der Sloot was communicating was not true."Holloway was last seen leaving Carlos'n Charlie's with van der Sloot and two other men, brothers Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, on the evening of May 30, two decades ago as of Friday. The three men were considered early suspects in the case.NEWS ANCHOR'S MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE WAS CRIME OF 'JEALOUSY': PRIVATE INVESTIGATORPolice arrested van der Sloot but eventually released him due to a lack of evidence. Authorities eyed the same suspects again in 2007 after uncovering "new facts" but wound up releasing them once more.Holloways remains have never been found.TIMELINE OF ALABAMA TEEN NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S DEATHFive years to the day after Holloway's disappearance, van der Sloot killed 21-year-old Stephany Flores, a business student from a wealthy Peruvian family who crossed paths with the killer on May 30, 2010.Van der Sloot later confessed to killing her in a fit of anger after she learned about his connection to Holloway's disappearance. They had met earlier in her father's casino in Lima, and he beat her to death in his hotel room the following morning.JORAN VAN DER SLOOT HAS CONFESSED TO KILLING NATALEE HOLLOWAYIn June 2010, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama announced an indictment on extortion and wire fraud charges against Van der Sloot for allegedly trying to sell information about the whereabouts of her body to her family."Joran contacted Natalie's mother and Natalie's attorney, John Q. Kelly, in New York and said that for $250,000 he would tell Beth exactly what happened to his daughter," Ward said. "So John Q. Kelly, along with the FBI, arranged to set up a room in the Marriott with the Aruban authorities and Joran van der Sloot came in and started telling Beth and John Q. Kelly that Natalie was buried under a house in the concrete. Well, they in turn gave him $25,000 cash, on film, and he then departed. He should have been arrested right then and there for the FBI for trying to extort Natalie's mother."PERU ALLOWS NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S KILLER MULTIPLE CONJUGAL VISITS FOR HIS MENTAL HEALTH, REHABILITATIONHe then left the United States and later told Beth Holloway and Kelly that he lied.Van der Sloot is currently serving prison time in Peru for Flores' murder. He is expected to be released in 2036, at which point Peruvian authorities will extradite him back to the United States to serve his concurrent 20-year sentence for Holloway's murder.AUDIO: LISTEN TO JORAN VAN DER SLOOT'S CONFESSION"You have brutally murdered, in separate incidents, years apart, two young women who refused your sexual advances," Judge Anna Manasco told van der Sloot in court in 2023, referencing Flores' murder.JORAN VAN DER SLOOT'S WHIRLWIND PLEA DEAL: 'HE WON THE GAME,' BUT FAMILY ACCEPTS CLOSUREManasco called the extortion and fraud charges "heinous" because the killer knew the information he was selling was a lie to make a profit. However, as part of the deal, she said federal prosecutors have agreed not to use his confession against him for any other purposes."After 18 years, Natalees case has been solved," Beth Holloway told reporters outside the courthouse immediately after van der Sloot's 2023 sentencing hearing in Holloway's death. "Joran van der Sloot is the killer."In a victim-impact statement during the hearing, Holloway's mother tore into van der Sloot, saying he taunted her family and caused indescribable pain before turning to him and saying, "You look like hell."Ward told Fox News Digital this week that Beth Holloway feels "kind of satisfied with the fact that he is in prison, and now he's gotten jail time in the United States, which he's going to have to do concurrent to the charges in Peru of the 20 years in the United States in the federal penitentiary. "CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWSThe private investigator added that he continues to stay in touch with Dave Holloway to this day and that they have not reached "a finalization of what happened.""Even though Joran van der Sloot confessed in 2023, we're not convinced that he was alone with what transpired with Natalee Halloway," Ward said. "But again, our conclusion, as of today, Dave Holloway and I are still looking and trying to gather information, which we believe that there's other people involved with Joran van der Sloot when she was on the beach in May 30, 2005."Ward said he does not believe van der Sloot acted alone, and he is still working to determine if others were involved.Fox News' Michael Ruiz and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.

A former assistant of Sean "Diddy" Combs testified Thursday to multiple instances of alleged abuse she faced over an eight-year period of working for the disgraced music mogul.Using the moniker "Mia" to testify anonymously, the ex-associate became emotional on the stand as she claimed to feel powerless after Diddy raped her, once at his Los Angeles home and another time in New York during his 40th birthday celebrations.Her words on the 12th day of testimony may have a huge impact on a jury's decision when it comes to sentencing the "Last Night" rapper, who faces anywhere from 15 years to life in prison if convicted on numerous federal charges, according to a legal expert.Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital that Mia's testimony as the fourth Diddy assistant to take the stand "was the best because she corroborated the prior testimony and was a victim of her own."DIDDY EX-ASSISTANT CAPRICORN CLARK DELIVERS MOST EXPLOSIVE TESTIMONY YET IN RAPPER'S FEDERAL TRIALMia worked for Diddy as his personal assistant and as a director at Revolt films. She described the work environment as "chaotic, toxic ... the highs were really high, and the lows were really low." According to Mia, Diddys mood determined the environment."Diddy was violent with her.He threw an ice bucket, bowl spaghetti, turkey meat, computer and phone at her, threw her against doors and walls, and threw her into a pool," Rahmani said of the allegations made in court on Thursday. "She was paid $50K to start and worked days straight with little to no sleep. She had to take Adderall to stay awake.This is forced labor for racketeering."USHER, OBAMA NAME-DROPPED IN DIDDY'S TRIAL AS SEX TRAFFICKING CASE HEATS UPHe added, "There was graphic testimony about the time Combs slammed Cassie Venturas head on the corner of the bed and 'cracked her head open.'After the attack, Combs told her to contact a plastic surgeon and say Ventura fell because she was drunk.This is obstruction of justice and witness tampering."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERMia also testified that not only did she witness the Bad Boy Records founder getting violent with Cassie Ventura, but he was also physically violent with her. She claimed he once slammed her arm in a bathroom door after allegedly stealing her cellphone. During another alleged incident, Mia claimed Diddy threw a computer at her head while on set in Los Angeles.The former employee told the court that Diddy had control over her."I couldnt tell him, no I couldnt tell him no about anything," she said during her testimony."I knew his power control over me. I didnt want to lose anything I worked so hard for."Rahmani added, "Combs gave her MDMA and ketamine and told her she was 'now part of the breakfast club.'So now we have drug trafficking along with sex trafficking.This shows a criminal enterprise with Combs in control."Albany-based attorney Paul DerOhannesian agreed that Mia's testimony "directly assists the prosecution in establishing the elements of theforced labor charge through physical force and threats which is part of the racketeering conspiracy charge."LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"Mia also corroborates Cassie Ventura's testimony concerning the freak offs, and the violence against Ventura, suggesting the sexual acts were not consensual," DerOhannesian said."More broadly, Mia's testimony provides a broad stroke in the prosecution's painting depicting Combs as a controlling, serial, terrorizing and violent abuser of women the framework by which the prosecution wishes the jury to view the trial testimony."In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Diddy was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison.He has maintained his innocence.Testimony in the Bad Boy Records founder's trial began May 12, and jurors heard from his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, Regina Ventura, who is Cassie's mother, Kid Cudi and Cassie's former best friend, Kerry Morgan.Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.

A 1,600-year-old Byzantine-era mosaic from a Christian monastery was recently put on public display for the first time, giving a glimpse into life during ancient times.The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a statement about the unveiling of the Beer Shema mosaic earlier this week. The mosaic was officially opened to the public at the Merhavim Regional Council complex in the Southern District of Israel on Sunday.The ministry described the art piece as "one of the most impressive mosaics discovered in the south of the country."ANCIENT JEWISH RITUAL BATH, OLDEST OF ITS KIND IN EUROPE, UNCOVERED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS"The approximately 1,600-year-old colorful mosaic presents 55 medallions decorated with hunting scenes, animals and scenes of everyday life," the statement also noted.The mosaic has 55 medallions, with each telling its own story. Archaeologist Shaike Lender said the scenes depict "mythological characters, baskets of fruit, exotic animals, scenes from everyday life, hunting scenes and more.""The mosaic was clearly made by the hand of a true artist," Lender added."It is comprised of small mosaic stones in a variety of colors, combined with glass and pottery to infuse it with variety."ANCIENT CHRISTIAN FIGURINES DISCOVERED IN 1,500-YEAR-OLD DESERT GRAVESThe Beer Shema mosaic was found in 1990 during an excavation in Kibbutz Urim.Archaeologists don't know its exact age, but they dated it to the Byzantine period of Israeli history, which lasted from 324 A.D. to 638 A.D.The mosaic was a feature within a monastery that also doubled as a winery to "earn its sustenance," according to Israeli officials.For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxnews.com/lifestyle"The excavation of the complex uncovered a large winepress and warehouses with storage jugs, which were produced on site," the statement said.The monastery was built near an ancient spice trail road that connected the historic city of Elusa with the port of Gaza."It seems that the ancient road upon which this settlement was sited served as a kind of border between the desert and the inhabited part of the country during the Byzantine period, and perhaps serving as such even earlier, during the Roman period," officials said.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERArchaeologists also discovered the monastery was part of a large settlement, comprised of several hundred dunams. A dunam, a historic unit of measurement still used in Israel today, is 1,000 square meters each."[The settlement] served travelers needing a safe place to spend the night, offering protection from potential attacks by raiders from the local Bedouin tribes," the statement noted.The mosaic was extensively preserved by archaeologists over the past few months.They treated the mosaic for damage and re-strengthened the tiles. Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) director Eli Escusido applauded the mosaic's opening, saying its site "will serve the public as an open archaeological garden."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"I now invite the public to enjoy and to form their own impressions of one of the most beautiful mosaics ever seen here in Israels South, here in the northwestern Negev," he said.

A group of high school students jumped into action in upstate New York to help a family escape a fast-moving fire.Donato Jellenich, Tyler Sojda, Aiden Kane and Morgan Randall were driving home from their prom when they spotted flames in the distance. They said at first, the group didnt think much of the fire, until they passed by a second time and noticed it was an entire garage burning."We turned the car around and went over there, and it was just crazy," Kane told "Fox & Friends First" Wednesday.A now-viral video shows the 17-year-old running up to the front door of the home and shouting, "Your house is on fire!" The footage captures the teens' efforts to warn a father and his two young daughters before the blaze could spread to the main home.DRAMATIC BODYCAM FOOTAGE CAPTURES POLICE RESCUE OF TRAPPED FIREFIGHTER FROM ILLINOIS HOUSE EXPLOSION"It was just a really big fire. Like, you could tell it was spreading quickly, and we just all wanted to help the best we could," Sojda said.Sojda recalled how the group worked together in the emergency with one calling 911, another checking the burning garage, and a third making sure the family inside knew what was happening.LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES: FAMILY'S HARROWING EVACUATION FROM PACIFIC PALISADES CAUGHT ON VIDEO"You see in the video, Aiden was banging on the front door and I cleared the garage, and then as I ran back to the front yard, he came out with the two little girls, and we got them to safety," Sojda said.Video from the teens shows the family hurrying out of the house, with Kane reassuring the children and urging them to stay behind a car for safety. Sojda said he and Randall comforted the frightened children while Kane returned to the house to tell the father to leave the home.DRAMATIC VIDEO SHOWS HERO COPS DRAG DAZED DRIVER FROM CAR BEFORE TRAIN SMASHES INTO ITJellenich said the group doesnt see themselves as heroes, but knows their actions made a difference."Its a pretty cool feeling to be able to be the ones that stopped the house from catching fire. I wouldn't say that we fully saved them, but we definitely did a part in preventing them catching in flames," he said.Local fire officials agree. Maynard Fire Chief Jared Pearl told the New York Post the teens quick thinking may have saved the familys lives and the home itself."If they didnt do this, if they didnt get everyone out and call 911, it may have been three to four minutes before we got there," he said. "And by then, the house would have been fully involved."Kane said he felt prepared for the moment. His father, who has worked as a police and EMS chief, had taught him what to do in emergencies.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"He said that he was definitely proud, and I'm following in his footsteps," said Kane, who intends to become a state trooper after graduating.

A former CIA station chief says China has U.S. military service members and government employees in the "crosshairs" of its overseas spy operations.Jian Zhao and Li Tian, both active-duty Army soldiers, were arrested in early March after allegedly selling "Top Secret" information to individuals based in China, according to the Department of Justice. Zhao and Tian were both indicted by federal grand juries in Washington and Oregon.Federal prosecutors allege Tian sold sensitive military information to former soldier Ruoyu Duan, who would allegedly receive money from individuals residing in China. Tian then allegedly received tens of thousands of dollars for selling the sensitive information.Included in the alleged documents Tian sold was a Google Drive link containing classified documents about the Stryker combat vehicle. Tian also allegedly sent additional sensitive data on U.S. weapons systems.BOMBSHELL REPORT SUGGESTS 'CHINESE SPIES' INFILTRATING PRESTIGIOUS US UNIVERSITY: 'WIDESPREAD CAMPAIGN'Prosecutors said the incidents highlight efforts by China to use "cut-outs," known as people trusted by Chinese intelligence services, to gather sensitive information that could help the Chinese government. Those "cut-outs" then recruit individuals with access to or knowledge of U.S. government information, which includes current and former government officials.According to the court documents, security video showed Tian allegedly brought his personal cellphone into a classified area of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington in May 2024, printed a classified document and left with it. He would allegedly return over three hours later with the document. Prosecutors also alleged that Tian took screenshots of sensitive information on several occasions.In a connected case at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Zhao allegedly sold classified information to an unnamed co-conspirator. According to federal prosecutors, Zhao received at least $15,000 for the documents. Zhao allegedly sold 20 military hard drives to an individual in China, some containing a "Secret" label.Zaho allegedly conspired to sell information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System as well as information related to U.S. military readiness if there was a war with China."While bribery and corruption have thrived under Chinas Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense information," said FBI Director Kash Patel on the charges.Former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman told Fox News Digital he thinks U.S. military service members as well as government employees are being targeted to take part in these spy operations.FORMER US ARMY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST SENTENCED FOR SELLING SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS TO CHINESE NATIONAL"I think anybody who serves in the U.S. government is in the crosshairs. And China will do it," Hoffman said. "Sometimes they'll run their recruitment operations posing as someone else. So maybe somebody doesn't want to go spy for China, but they might pretend to be somebody else. Or they might contact you on social media, on LinkedIn or some other site and pose as someone not so nefarious when in fact they are."Hoffman said gaining intel from the U.S. military is one of the Chinese government's "highest requirements.""They want to recruit U.S. military because there's a probability we might go to war with China, and not just U.S. military, but NATO members as well, and throughout Asia. So they've got a massive intelligence apparatus," he said.China isn't just targeting the U.S. military. It's targeting many other aspects of American society as well, including academia.Five former University of Michigan students were charged in October 2024 after they were allegedly caught spying on a National Guard training center for the Chinese government during a training session with the Taiwanese military.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe former University of Michigan students were confronted by a Utah National Guard sergeant major in August 2023 near a lake at Camp Grayling in Michigan.Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute focusing on U.S. and China relations, told Fox News Digital the Chinese Communist Party "will exercise whatever tactics they feel they need to by hook or crook to get our military secrets," adding China is "shameless.""This is a tactic that China is exercising in the new Cold War that we're locked in with the Chinese Communist Party. And one of the things that is really striking is the low price that a lot of Americans are willing to sell their patriotism for and their allegiance for. Some of these people didn't get that much money to sell some really sensitive military secrets over to the Chinese Communist Party," Sobolik said.Fox News' Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

A government employee in Virginia was arrested on Thursday after he attempted to share classified information with an officer or agent of a foreign government, the Department of Justice announced.Nathan Laatsch, a 28-year-old IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency since 2019, was arrested after the FBI received a tip in March 2025 that someone was willing to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government.Laatsch was a civilian employee in the DIA's Insider Threat Division and held a top secret security clearance, according to the DOJ.An email to the FBI said that the person later identified as Laatsch didn't "agree or align with the values" of the Trump administration, and would be willing to share classified information that he could access, including "completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation."DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTOR CHARGED AFTER PRINTING TOP SECRET DOCUMENTS, TRYING TO LEAVE WITH THEM TO MEXICOLaatsch communicated with an FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign government official, multiple times and would confirm that he was ready to share classified information that he transcribed onto a notepad at his desk, the DOJ said. He allegedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace multiple times over a three-day period in preparation.The FBI set up an operation at a northern Virginia park where Laatsch was to deposit classified information "for the foreign government to retrieve," according to the DOJ. He was observed by the FBI on or around May 1 depositing an item at the specified location.Once he left, the DOJ said FBI agents retrieved a thumb drive from the area found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents with information portion-marked for Secret or Top Secret levels. His message allegedly indicated that he was sharing "a decent sample size" of classified information to demonstrate the types of things he has access to.SUSPECT CHARGED IN LEAK OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS ON ISRAEL'S PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE IRAN STRIKEOn May 7, after Laatsch learned that the thumb drive had been retrieved, he allegedly sent a message to the undercover agent appearing to say that he was seeking something in exchange for providing the information.The following day, he specified that he was interested in "citizenship for your country" because he didn't expect things in America "to improve in the long term," the DOJ said. He also allegedly said he was "not opposed to other compensation," but not in a place where he needed "material compensation."Laatsch was told on May 14 by the FBI agent that the "foreign government" was ready for additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, he transcribed more information and began to remove it from the building by folding the notes and hiding them in his clothing.On Thursday, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia to drop the information off to the "foreign country." He was arrested once the FBI received the documents.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPHis first court appearance is scheduled for Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia.

The Austin Police Department has issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert for an inmate who escaped while on hold at a psychiatric hospital in Texas.McArthur Mathis was transported to The Cross Creek Psychiatric and Addiction Hospital on Wednesday after being in custody in Grimes County since he was arrested Jan. 2 on multiple warrants. Mathis is also a registered sex offender.Mathis is facing multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury to a family member, obstruction or retaliation, deadly conduct and burglary of a habitation.DEVIL IN THE OZARKS WHO ESCAPED PRISON LIKELY STILL IN ARKANSAS AREA: OFFICIALSPolice say they responded to an urgent welfare call at around 10:30 p.m. and learned that Mathis had allegedly kicked the back door open and jumped over a 6-foot fence.Mathis could be attempting to return to known contacts in Grimes, Lavaca, Brazos or Gonzales counties, the department said.LOUISIANA AG CONFIDENT REMAINING JAILBREAK FUGITIVES WILL BE RECAPTURED AFTER OFFICIALS MAKE 14TH ARRESTPolice also said Mathis should be considered armed and dangerous due to his criminal history.Anyone with information on Mathis is asked to contact the Grimes County Sheriffs Office at 936-873-2151, Grimes County Crimestoppers at (936) 873-2000, or www.p3tips.com.