A Massachusetts-based US Air National Guard member was on Thursday arrested in connection with the disclosure of highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war and other top US national security issues, an alarming breach that has raised fresh questions about Washington’s ability to safeguard its most sensitive secrets.
The guard member, an IT specialist identified as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was taken into custody without incident after FBI officers converged on his home in North Dighton, Massachusetts.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said Teixeira would be charged with removing or transmitting classified national defense information, a crime under the US’ Espionage Act.
Photo: REUTERS / WCVB-TV / ABC
Garland did not reveal a possible motive, but accounts of those in an online private chat group in which the documents were disclosed depicted Teixeira as motivated more by bravado than ideology.
While Thursday’s arrest was a pivotal moment in an investigation into the highest-profile US intelligence leak in years, the US military and the US Department of Justice were still scrutinizing how sensitive government secrets shared in a chat room ended up circulating around the world.
The emergence of Teixeira as a primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how such a profound breach, one that the US Department of Defense termed a “very serious risk to national security,” could have been caused by a young, low-ranking service member.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“We entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very early age. Think about a young combat platoon sergeant, and the responsibility and trust that we put into those individuals to lead troops into combat,” Pentagon press secretary General Patrick Ryder said.
Teixeira was a “cyber transport systems specialist,” essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks, including their cabling and hubs.
In that role, Teixeira had a higher level of security clearance because he would have also been tasked with responsibility for ensuring protection for the networks, a defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Hours after the arrest, US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner issued a statement pledging to “examine why this happened, why it went unnoticed for weeks, and how to prevent future leaks.”
Teixeira, who was wearing a T-shirt and shorts at the time heavily armed FBI agents arrested him, was yesterday due to have his initial court appearance in Massachusetts.
He could also face charges in a military court.
It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, and a telephone message left at a number believed to belong to his mother was not returned.
Garland said the investigation is ongoing, but did not say if other suspects were being pursued.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has scrambled to contain the potential diplomatic and military fallout from the leaks since they were first reported last week, moving to assure allies and assess the scope of damage.
Pentagon officials have expressed alarm about the breach.
Biden downplayed the lasting impact of the revelations, telling reporters in Ireland earlier on Thursday that “there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence.”
The classified documents — which have not been individually authenticated by US officials — range from briefing slides mapping out Ukrainian military positions to assessments of international support for Ukraine and other sensitive topics, including under what circumstances Russian President Vladimir Putin might use nuclear weapons.
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