WASHINGTON (AP) – A Massachusetts Air National Guard member has emerged as a key person of interest in the disclosure of the highly classified military documents was detained by federal agents on Thursday over the Ukraine war, US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced.
Investigators believe the Guardsman, who specializes in intelligence gathering, led the online chat group where the documents were posted. Garland identified the Guardsman as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, and said he would be charged with unauthorized removal of classified national defense information.
Garland said FBI agents gathered at Teixeira’s Massachusetts home on Thursday and heavily armed tactical agents took Teixeira, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, into custody outside the property “without incident,” Garland said. he said.
He will be charged with unauthorized removal of confidential national defense information, Garland said, and will have a preliminary court appearance in federal court in Massachusetts.
It was not immediately clear whether Teixeira had an attorney who could speak on his behalf, and a phone message left at a number belonging to his mother was not immediately returned.
Law enforcement officers closed the road near the house. The New York Times, which first identified Teixeira on Thursday, said a man who had previously stood outside Teixeira’s home said that “if things are going the way they are now, he needs a lawyer.” I am sure the Fed will reach out soon.”
#Breaking federal agents take #M.A National Guardsman Jack Teixeira in custody in connection with the leak #military intelligence document #WBZ #FBI pic.twitter.com/ai6GHe2ISp
— Cheryl Fiandaca (@CherylFiandaca) April 13, 2023
The emergence of Teixeira as apparently the primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how high-profile intelligence leaks over the years, continuing with the almost daily revelation of highly classified documents, so young, low- Ranking Service Member.
The Biden administration has scrambled for days to contain the fallout of the leaked information, which has publicized potential weaknesses in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters.
The National Guard did not confirm his identity, but said in a statement, “We are aware of an investigation into the alleged role Massachusetts Air National Guardsmen may have had in the recent leaking of highly-classified documents.”
Air Force Brig. Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder referred all questions about the case to the Justice Department. But he added: “We have rules. Each of us signs a non-disclosure agreement. It is a criminal act, deliberately violated.”
The Biden administration has been working to assess the diplomatic and national security consequences of the leaked documents since they were first reported last week. A top Pentagon spokesman told reporters earlier this week that the revelations presented a “very serious risk to national security”, and the Justice Department launched an investigation to identify the person responsible.
US President Joe Biden told reporters in Ireland on Thursday, “We are getting closer.” He said that although he was concerned that sensitive government documents had been disclosed, “there is nothing contemporary that I know of that is very significant.”
The Justice Department declined to comment Thursday.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at the Justice Department on April 13, 2023 in Washington. FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate, right, and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, left, listen. (AP Photo/Ivan Vucci)
It is possible that the leak started on a site called Discord, a social media platform popular among people who play online games. The Discord site hosts real-time voice, video and text chat for groups and describes itself as a place “where you can belong to a school club, a gaming group or a worldwide arts community.”
In one of those forums, which were originally created to talk about a range of topics, members would debate the war in Ukraine. According to a member of the chat, an anonymous poster shared documents that the poster claimed were classified, first typing them up with the poster’s own thoughts, then, a few months ago, images of the folded papers. uploaded to
Discord has said it is cooperating with law enforcement.
There are only a few ways to access the leaked classified information, which may provide important clues as to who is responsible. Typically in classified briefings, as is the case with the slides that were placed on Discord, the information is shared electronically.
This is done either through secure computer terminals where users gain access based on their credentials or through tablets which are distributed for briefings and collected afterwards. If the slides need to be printed instead, they can simply be sent to secure printers capable of handling classified documents – and which keep a digital record of each person who requests printouts.
It is those digital clues such as records of printouts that can help investigators trace document takers. Most pictures of documents posted online are images of paper copies that look like they’ve been folded into quarters – almost as if they were stuffed into someone’s pocket.
In the days after the leak came to light, the Pentagon referred questions on the investigation to the Justice Department, saying it was a criminal matter. A defense official told the AP that even if the person who leaked the files was an active duty member of the US military, the Justice Department would likely take the lead on prosecution unless it turned the matter over to the Defense Department. Not ready to hand over. On condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The official said this has happened in past criminal cases, such as when two Marines based at Camp Pendleton in California were arrested in 2020 on drug trafficking charges. The official said that if the person responsible turns out to be a civilian, the Department of Justice would be responsible.
