- The FBI announced on Thursday, May 14, 2026, a $200,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Monica Witt, a former US Air Force intelligence specialist.
- Witt, who defected to Iran in 2013, was charged in 2019 with delivering classified national defense information and the identity of a US intelligence officer to the Iranian government.
- US officials believe Witt remains in Iran and continues to support “nefarious activities” against US interests during a period of heightened geopolitical tension.
The hunt for one of America’s most wanted defectors has intensified as the FBI Washington Field Office nearly doubled the reward for Monica Witt.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Daniel Wierzbicki, a special agent in charge at the FBI, stated that the agency believes “someone knows something” about her current whereabouts, emphasizing that the US has not forgotten her betrayal of national security.
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Witt served as a counterintelligence officer for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations between 2003 and 2008, a role that gave her access to highly sensitive Middle Eastern intelligence.
According to federal prosecutors, Witt was recruited by Iranian intelligence and provided with housing and computer equipment after she fled the US.
Her defection reportedly compromised a “highly classified intelligence collection program,” placing US lives at risk.
The 2019 indictment also charged four Iranian nationals who allegedly worked with Witt to conduct cyberattacks and identity theft against her former colleagues in the intelligence community.
The timing of the renewed reward comes as the US monitors increasing Iranian influence and cyber-recruitment efforts globally.
Intelligence reports suggest Witt likely continues to assist the Iranian regime in navigating Western counterintelligence strategies.
While Witt’s current status in Iran remains shrouded in secrecy, the FBI’s move signals a renewed push to bring the former agent to justice, warning that the passage of time has not diminished the severity of her alleged crimes.
