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By Open Chronicle with agencies
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced a reward of up to $200,000 for information leading to the capture of former US Air Force counterintelligence specialist Monica Witt, who is accused of defecting to Iran and assisting Iranian intelligence operations against the United States.
In a statement released Thursday, the FBI said Witt is believed to remain involved in activities supporting the Iranian government and its intelligence services more than a decade after leaving the United States.
Daniel Wierzbicki, the FBI’s top counterintelligence official in Washington, said the agency remains committed to locating Witt despite the passage of time.
“The FBI has not forgotten,” Wierzbicki said, adding that investigators believe someone may have information about her whereabouts during what he described as a critical moment in Iran’s history.
Witt served as a counterintelligence officer with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and worked on assignments throughout the Middle East between 2003 and 2008. US authorities allege that after leaving government service, she became increasingly connected to Iranian officials and eventually defected in 2013.
The case first became public in 2019 when the US Justice Department unsealed charges accusing Witt of espionage-related activities on behalf of Iran.
According to prosecutors, Witt conspired with Iranian operatives between 2012 and 2015 to provide sensitive US national defense information that could be used to harm American interests and benefit Tehran.
Former Assistant Attorney General John Demers previously alleged that Witt exposed details of a highly classified intelligence collection program and identified a US intelligence officer, actions prosecutors said endangered the individual’s life.
Court documents further alleged that after arriving in Iran, Witt received housing, computer equipment, and other support from Iranian authorities in exchange for her cooperation.
US officials have long described the case as one of the most serious defections involving an American intelligence or military officer in recent years.
The renewed FBI reward announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following months of geopolitical confrontation, military escalation in the Gulf region and disputes over Iran’s regional activities and nuclear program.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed Witt’s current location, and it remains unclear whether she has legal representation in the United States.
The FBI urged anyone with information regarding her whereabouts or activities to contact the agency.