A Massachusetts Air National Guard member was arrested Thursday in connection with the disclosure of highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war and other top national security issues, an alarming breach that has raised fresh questions about America's ability to safeguard its most sensitive secrets.
The guardsman, an IT specialist identified as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was taken into custody without incident after FBI officers converged on his Massachusetts home. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he is to be charged with removing or transmitting classified national defense information, a crime under the Espionage Act.
"We entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very early age. Think about a young combat platoon sergeant, and the responsibility and trust that we put into those individuals to lead troops into combat," said Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, and a phone message left at a number believed to belong to his mother was not returned.The Biden administration has scrambled to contain the potential diplomatic and military fallout from the leaks since they were first reported last week, moving to assure allies and assess the scope of damage. Pentagon officials have expressed alarm about the breach.
The leak is believed to have started on a site called Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games and where Teixeira is believed to have posted for years about guns, games and his favorite memes - and, according to some chatting with him, closely guarded U.S. secrets. The chat group, called Thug Shaker Central, drew roughly two dozen enthusiasts who talked about their favorite types of guns and also shared memes and jokes, some of them racist. The group also held a running discussion on wars that included talk of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Classified document leak investigation zeroes in on Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, reports sayThe National Guard says it is supporting investigators following reports that a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman is the suspected Pentagon documents leaker.
Read more »
Massachusetts Air National Guardsman may be behind intelligence leaks: ReportsA 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member has been named in multiple reports as the leader of an online chat group where a number of classified military documents were published about the ongoing war in Ukraine and U.S. intelligence operations around the world.
Read more »
Massachusetts Air National Guardsman tied to Pentagon secret documents leak: ReportsA 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard has been tied to leaking top secret U.S. documents about the Ukraine war, according to reports.
Read more »
Jack Teixeira, Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, sought in classified military documents leakThe FBI wants to question a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard in connection with the disclosure of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war, two people familiar with the investigation said Thursday.
Read more »
FBI arrests Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira in probe of classified document leaksBREAKING: FBI agents arrested Massachusetts Air National Guardsmen Jack Teixeira at a home in North Dighton, Massachusetts, on Thursday in relation to a trove of classified documents that have been leaked online in recent months.
Read more »