Global Courant 2023-04-14 06:54:32
FBI agents on Thursday arrested Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Douglas Teixeira at a home in North Dighton, Massachusetts, in connection with a trove of classified documents leaked online in recent months.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Teixeira, 21, is under investigation for the “alleged unauthorized removal, preservation and transfer of classified national defense information”.
Teixeira, who joined the Air National Guard in September 2019, had the highest security clearance granted by the federal government for top secret information, according to an internal Defense Department email reviewed by Fox News.
His security clearance and access to secret government systems have since been revoked, according to another internal government document.
WHO IS JACK TEIXEIRA, THE AIR NATIONAL GUARDSMEN WHO ARE BEHIND BEHIND LEAKED CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS?
Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, seen here in a photo posted to social media, was arrested Thursday for allegedly leaking classified documents. (Facebook)
Teixeira was last stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base as a member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing. According to the unit, he was promoted to Airman 1st Class in July.
The FBI began investigating Teixeira in connection with the leaks before Thursday, but was forced to accelerate their plans to arrest him after The New York Times identified him Thursday morning, a source briefed on the investigation told Fox News.
The New York Times report named Teixeira the leader of a Discord group called “Thug Shaker Central” that consisted of about 20 to 30 young men.
Teixeira is said to have started sharing classified documents with the private group in recent months, but according to the report, the leaks gained more attention after another member shared them on a public forum.
Investigators don’t believe the Teixeira case ends and are looking at others who may be involved, a source told Fox News.
The National Guard said in a statement it was aware of the “alleged role a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman may have played in the recent leak of highly classified documents” from the Pentagon.
PENTAGON DOCUMENT LEAK IMMEDIATELY AFFECTS NATIONAL SECURITY: SUCKS A LOT OF OXYGEN
“The National Guard takes this matter very seriously and will support the investigators,” the National Guard said in a statement. “National security is our number one priority, and any attempt to undermine it jeopardizes our values and damages trust between our members, the public, allies and partners.”
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. General Pat Ryder called the leaks “a deliberate criminal act”, and said distribution lists for classified information are under review.
LEAKER OF CLASSIFIED AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE WORKS ON A MILITARY BASIS, POSTED THE DOCUMENTS ON DISCORD: REPORT
“We entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very young age,” Ryder said at a press conference on Thursday.
“You’ve received training and you’re given an understanding of the rules and requirements that come with those responsibilities. And you’re expected to abide by those rules, regulations and responsibility. That’s called military discipline. And in certain cases, especially if it’s It’s about sensitive information, it’s also about the law.”
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks warned Pentagon officials in a memo Tuesday against sharing classified information. (Fox news)
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks sent a memo to Pentagon officials on Tuesday, warning employees against leaking classified information or downloading classified documents from unclassified sources.
“Do not access or download documents with secret markings from unclassified websites — whether at home or at work — as the data may be classified, associated with hostile foreign elements, or it may contain malicious code or embedded capabilities that can create cyber threats. into our information system,” Hicks wrote in the memo obtained by Fox News.
LEAKED DOCUMENTS FROM THE PENTAGON DIFFER GRIM PICTURE OF UKRAINIAN AIR DEFENSE MAY TAST ONLY ONE MONTH
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also on Thursday ordered a review of “intelligence access, accountability and auditing procedures” to ensure leaks like this don’t happen again.
A large police presence was seen Thursday in the quiet neighborhood of Teixeira in North Dighton, a small town about 35 miles south of Boston.
“This is where I live, so it’s crazy to see what’s going on here,” a community member told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
“I don’t know the parents, but I know (Teixeira) because of my son. They rode the (school) bus together. They lived there for a long time and as a parent I naturally feel terrible for them.”
President Biden said earlier Thursday that the US was “close” to finding the person responsible for leaking Pentagon documents that the Department of Defense says contain “sensitive and top secret material.”
“I can’t (give an update) right now. A full investigation is underway with the intelligence community and the Department of Justice, and they are getting close,” Biden told reporters during his trip to Ireland. “I don’t have an answer for you.
“I’m afraid it happened, but there’s nothing from the era that I’m aware of that’s of major importance.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The leaked documents mainly relate to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also contain intelligence on China, the Middle East, the Israeli spy agency Mossad and world leaders.
US defense officials previously told Fox News that the leak could be “bigger than Snowden” in terms of damage to intelligence and allied relations.
Teixeira is expected to appear in court between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday, according to a source at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Sarah Tobianski, Lorraine Taylor and Rick Eggleston of Fox News contributed to this report.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
