The thief was caught on surveillance video lifting the computer from the vehicle of a Secret Service agent, TMZ reported, after pulling into the agent’s driveway in an Uber Thursday around 3:00 AM local time.
The culprit has been identified as a man, though the grainy footage makes it difficult to discern his features. He is shown exiting his vehicle and heading straight to the agent’s car, where he removed a backpack containing the laptop before walking off. The computer reportedly contained floor plans for Trump Tower and information regarding the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
In a statement, the Secret Service clarified that the agency’s laptops "contain multiple layers of security, including full disk encryption and are not permitted to contain classified information."
Though some coins and a black bag were recovered later the thief also made off with several Secret Service lapel pins, a radio and a passport.
According to Politico, one unnamed official said the theft lends credence to the notion of their being a "culture of complacency among the agents as to the gravitas of the mission."
This incident comes days after Jonathan Tran was apprehended by Secret Service 15 minutes after scaling a fence and landing on the White House premises with a backpack carrying two cans of mace.
US President Donald Trump was on the premises when the breach occurred and applauded the agency’s performance, saying they did "a fantastic job" engaging "a troubled person."
Two agents assigned to protect Trump’s eight-year-old grandson, Donald Trump, III, are still under investigation after taking pictures with the child while he was sleeping.
