Who is Jack Teixeira?
FEDERAL law enforcement officials have identified a man they believe is responsible for leaking secret defense and intelligence documents.
The leaked documents have been circulating the internet for weeks and contain information about the Ukraine war and China, among other things.
Who is Jack Teixeira?
Jack Teixeira is a 21-year-old national guardsman with the Massachusetts Air National Guard.
He serves as a member of the intelligence wing and his identity was first reported by .
Teixeira oversaw an online Discord group called Thug Shaker Central where approximately 30 people - mostly young men and teens - shared a love of guns, racist memes, and games.
The group is allegedly responsible for leaking the documents.
Shortly after Teixeira was identified, he was arrested by FBI agents for his alleged involvement in the leak, which a top Pentagon spokesman described as a "very serious risk to national security," according to .
"Today, the Justice Department arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information," Attorney General Merrick Garland said, via .
Teixeira is scheduled to make an appearance at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, but Garland notes that the investigation is still ongoing.
On April 27, 2023, it was revealed that Jack Teixeira will remain in detention under authorities.
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What information is in the leaked documents?
The leaked documents, which were shared on Discord, Twitter, and Telegram, contain sensitive information about the support the United States is providing Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
The documents detail the US and Nato's plans to help Ukraine prepare ahead of a spring offensive against Russia and suggested China has secretly launched a 6,500mph hypersonic missile that could beat US defense systems.
They also alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin is undergoing chemotherapy treatment and show that a British spy plane narrowly avoided being shot down by the Russians due to a missile malfunction.
The leak was initially spotted in a now-defunct Discord server and three former users said that a large number of documents had been shared there, according to .
What has President Joe Biden said about the leak?
On April 13, 2023, President Joe Biden addressed the nation about the documents, revealing that the US was “getting close” to finding answers about the leak.
“There’s a full blown investigation going on, as you know, with the intelligence community and the Justice Department, and they’re getting close,” he told reporters during his visit to Dublin, Ireland.
The FBI also released a following Teixeira's arrest, revealing that he was taken in "without incident."
"Today, the FBI took 21-year-old Jack Douglas Teixeira into custody without incident at a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts, for his alleged involvement in leaking classified U.S. government and military documents," the statement read.
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"Since late last week, the FBI has aggressively pursued investigative leads, and today's arrest exemplifies our continued commitment to identifying, pursuing, and holding accountable those who betray our country's trust and put our national security at risk."
At this time, there has been no official comment from the White House, the Massachusetts Air National Guard, or Teixeira.