According to a report by Anadolu Agency on Friday, May 15, 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $200,000 for information leading to the arrest or location of former US Air Force counterintelligence specialist Monica Witt, who allegedly defected to Iran more than a decade ago.
In a statement released on Thursday, the FBI said Witt is believed to still be involved in activities supporting the Iranian government and its intelligence operations.
The agency urged anyone with information about her whereabouts or activities to come forward, describing the case as a continuing national security concern.
“The FBI has not forgotten and believes that during this critical moment in Iran’s history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts,” said Daniel Wierzbicki, the FBI’s senior counterintelligence official in Washington.
“The FBI wants to hear from you so you can help us apprehend Witt and bring her to justice,” he added.
Witt previously served as a counterintelligence officer with the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations. During her military career, she reportedly worked on several assignments in the Middle East between 2003 and 2008, where she gained access to sensitive US intelligence operations and classified national security information.
US authorities believe Witt defected to Iran in 2013 after becoming increasingly sympathetic to the Iranian government. Officials allege that after arriving in Iran, she assisted Iranian intelligence services by disclosing sensitive information relating to US intelligence programmes and personnel.
In 2019, the US Department of Justice formally charged Witt with espionage-related offences. At the time, then-Assistant Attorney General John Demers accused her of helping Iran expose a “highly classified intelligence collection programme” and revealing the identity of a US intelligence officer, actions prosecutors said may have endangered lives and compromised national security.
According to court documents and the indictment filed against her, Witt allegedly conspired with Iranian operatives between January 2012 and May 2015 to provide documents and information connected to US national defence.
