A 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who has been tied to leaking top secret U.S. documents about the Ukraine war has been arrested, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Jack Teixeira was identified as the leader of a Discord group, a social media platform, where the highly classified military documents were posted online.
Federal agents on Thursday were seen taking him into custody at a North Dighton home.
“FBI agents took Teixeira into custody earlier this afternoon without incident,” Garland said from the Pentagon, adding that Teixeira will have an initial appearance in Massachusetts U.S. District Court. That court appearance is expected on Friday.
The Department of Justice investigation is into alleged “unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information,” the AG said. Teixeira, an IT specialist for the military, will be charged under the Espionage Act.
After the arrest, the FBI was continuing its investigation at the North Dighton residence on Thursday.
“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,” the FBI said in a statement.
Police were seen blocking a road in North Dighton, located in the South Coast of Massachusetts, where Teixeira has local ties.
The small, quiet town was shook by the bombshell FBI arrest on Thursday.
“Nothing like this ever happens around here,” a man named Jerry, who declined to give his last name, told the Herald as he had a coffee at the only Dunkin’ in town.
The New York Times first reported the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman’s identity on Thursday.
“This was a deliberate criminal act,” Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder said at a press conference on Thursday.
The leaked documents included top secret assessments of Ukraine’s defense capabilities against the Russia invasion.
“Leaking classified material threatens all of our lives,” Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton said in a statement. “It directly threatens the lives of the brave Americans who collect intelligence; it cuts off our means to collect vital intelligence in the future; it undermines our foreign policy; it undermines our allies; and it emboldens our adversaries. These things make every American less safe.
“Let’s also be clear: This is not whistleblowing,” added Moulton, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Select Committee on China. “It is a cowardly and extraordinarily reckless criminal act. With an active war in Europe and China ratcheting up tensions in the Pacific, this document leak could have far-ranging implications, most of which we’ve yet to fully realize. Most concerning is its impact on our ability to collect the intelligence to keep us safe in the future.”
A Pentagon spokesman earlier this week said the disclosures present a “very serious risk to national security,” and the Justice Department opened an investigation to identify the person responsible.
Herald wire services were used in this report.
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