Let G be any locally compact unimodular metrizable group. The main result of this paper, roughly stated, is that if F < G is any finitely generated free group and Γ < G any lattice, then up to a small perturbation and passing to a finite index subgroup, F is a subgroup of Γ. If G/Γ is noncompact then we require additional hypotheses that include G = SO(n, 1).