The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced an update to its efforts to locate a Texas-born woman charged with espionage for Iran. In a statement published on Thursday, May 14, the agency said it is now offering $200,000 for information that leads to the discovery and prosecution of Monica Elfriede Witt, who is from El Paso.
It comes roughly seven years after a grand jury in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, issued a federal warrant for her arrest. Authorities say they consider her an international flight risk.
Witt is a former U.S. Air Force intelligence specialist. She served from 1997 through 2008 and then with a cleared defense contractor until 2010, according to the FBI.
U.S. officials say Witt officially defected, or abandoned allegiance to America, in 2013, after being recruited by Iran during conferences sponsored by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the bureau, the group “has elements responsible for intelligence collection, unconventional warfare, and providing direct support to multiple terrorist organizations targeting U.S. citizens and interests.”
Authorities allege she intentionally provided information endangering U.S. personnel and their families stationed abroad, and conducted research that allowed the Iranian regime to target her former colleagues.
She was charged with “Conspiracy to Deliver National Defense Information to Representatives of a Foreign Government and Delivering National Defense Information to Representatives of a Foreign Government” in February 2019, the FBI said.
Yes, Witt was born in El Paso, and the birthday she used is April 8, 1979, making her 47 years old, according to the posting. The FBI suspects that she resides in Iran.
Authorities say that once Witt’s service ended, she used the contracts and knowledge gained throughout her past positions to share sensitive information with Iran. This allowed Iranian hackers to target other U.S. intelligence professionals by sending messages via email and social media accounts.
The messages “contained links and attachments that would deploy malware” and established “covert access to the targeted individuals’ computers and networks,” the FBI wrote in a statement. Her 2019 indictment includes charges for four Iranians who the FBI says conducted the cyber campaign.
Assistant Attorney General John Demers of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division says she also revealed the true identity of a U.S. intelligence officer, which put their life at risk.
It took several years of investigation for charges against Witt to be delivered, authorities said.
An FBI Most Wanted poster states that Witt is 5’6, 120 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. She also went by the names Narges Witt and Fatemah Zahra, authorities say.
Anyone with tips regarding Witt should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. They can also reach out to the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. Anonymous tips can be submitted at tips.fbi.gov.