Shocking details about US Airman Jack Texeira, 21, who ‘leaked confidential Pentagon documents’
A YOUNG intel officer has been arrested after he was linked to an online gaming group that leaked classified Pentagon documents, according to reports.
The leaker was reportedly identified as Jack Teixeira, a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.
FBI agents stormed Teixeira's North Dighton, Massachusetts, home on Thursday to arrest him and comb through the property.
The agency said that they are continuing to conduct "authorized law enforcement activity" while a Pentagon spokesperson could not confirm whether or not the young man is considered a person of interest.
Months ago, classified documents began circulating on social media, spurring officials to search for the source that leaked them.
The leak was traced back to a Discord chat of gamers titled Thug Shaker Central who confirmed the docs were sent by a friend, the reported.
The Discord consisted of about 20 to 30 young men and boys who bonded over their love of guns, offensive jokes, and video games.
Members of the group confirmed that the chat organizer, known to them as O.G, sent the classified information, saying that he told them they came from his job.
"He's a smart person," an unnamed member told .
"He knew what he was doing when he posted these documents, of course. They weren't accidental leaks of any kind."
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The group notably refused to share the leaker's identity and maintained that he was a good person who just wanted to "keep us in the loop."
The friends first came together during the Covid-19 pandemic seeking community after they were forced to stay home.
Together the crew of young men and boys would watch movies, laugh at edgy memes, and pray.
Teixeira was described as a natural leader and Christian who was anti-war.
Two US law enforcement officials have reportedly told NBC News that Teixeira is the suspected leaker of the classified documents.
He is enlisted in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.
The leaked documents 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 stated 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 .
On Thursday, President Joe Biden addressed the documents and said that the U.S. 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.
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The FBI released a statement confirming that Teixeria was taken in without incident after weeks of pursuing investigative leads.
The agency said the 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."