Monica Elfriede Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist, has been linked to a long-running espionage case after accusations she defected to Iran and shared classified information. In a May 2026 statement, an FBI official renewed the search
The FBI is once again asking the public for help finding Monica Elfriede Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist accused of defecting to Iran and sharing classified information with the Iranian government.
In a May 2026 statement. Daniel Wierzbicki. special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division. said the bureau “has not forgotten” Witt and believes “during this critical moment in Iran’s history. there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts.” He added: “The FBI wants to hear from you so you can help us apprehend Witt and bring her to justice.”
Witt’s case has stayed in the spotlight for years. and federal authorities have described her as a fugitive wanted for alleged espionage activity connected to Iran.. While her whereabouts remain unknown, the details of what the U.S.. government says she did—across her military career. post-service work. and alleged overseas actions—form the backbone of a case prosecutors characterize as among the most high-profile examples of an American intelligence specialist accused of turning to a foreign adversary.
Witt enlisted in the U.S.. Air Force in 1997 and served until 2008.. During that time. she worked as a counterintelligence specialist and cryptologic linguist. with a focus on Middle Eastern operations and intelligence.. Officials have described her as having held a top-secret security clearance while working with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). and they say she had access to sensitive information.
After leaving active duty, Witt continued working in intelligence-related roles as a government contractor until around 2010.. Federal authorities allege that her involvement in classified work left her with ongoing exposure to sensitive national defense information—information and training they say she later used to assist Iran after she left the U.S.
The legal case against Witt moved forward in February 2019, when the U.S.. Department of Justice announced espionage-related charges.. Prosecutors accused her of conspiring to provide classified national defense information to the Iranian government after she allegedly defected to Iran in 2013.. The indictment said she exposed the identities of U.S.. intelligence personnel and assisted Iranian cyber operatives in targeting Americans through hacking and surveillance campaigns.
Authorities have said Witt traveled to Iran for conferences tied to anti-American propaganda efforts before her alleged defection.. Investigators further allege that she became increasingly involved with Iranian organizations and chose to remain in the country permanently.. The FBI has also alleged that Witt adopted alternate names while overseas and continued assisting Iranian intelligence efforts after her defection.
Witt has remained at large for years, and the FBI has repeatedly sought public assistance.. In 2026. the bureau renewed attention on the case by offering a reward of up to $200. 000 for information leading to her capture.. Federal officials have warned that her actions may have endangered U.S.. intelligence operations and personnel.
The timeline described by federal authorities links her Air Force service from 1997 to 2008—where she worked as a counterintelligence specialist and cryptologic linguist—to later contractor work until around 2010. then to the alleged 2013 defection. and finally to the 2019 DOJ charges accusing her of passing classified information and helping Iranian efforts.
For the FBI. the message in May 2026 is direct: the bureau is asking for information about Witt’s whereabouts. describing her as a fugitive wanted for alleged espionage activities connected to Iran.. With a reward of up to $200,000 in place and investigators emphasizing the risks to U.S.. intelligence personnel and operations, the case remains unresolved—and the search is back in the public eye.
Monica Elfriede Witt FBI reward espionage case Air Force counterintelligence cryptologic linguist Iran defection AFOSI DOJ charges