Jack Teixeira, Pentagon Doc Leak Suspect, Arrested, AG Says

• The suspected Pentagon leaker was arrested Tuesday by federal brokers in Dighton, Massachusetts.
• Merrick Garland recognized the suspect as Jack Teixeira, 21, a guardsman specializing in intelligence.
• Teixeira allegedly shared extremely categorized paperwork concerning the Ukraine conflict on-line.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guard member was arrested Thursday in reference to the disclosure of extremely categorized army paperwork concerning the Ukraine conflict and different prime nationwide safety points, an alarming breach that has raised recent questions on America’s means to safeguard its most delicate secrets and techniques.

The guardsman, an IT specialist recognized as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was taken into custody with out incident after FBI officers converged on his Massachusetts dwelling. Legal professional Common Merrick Garland stated he’s to be charged with eradicating or transmitting categorized nationwide protection data, a criminal offense underneath the Espionage Act.

Garland didn’t reveal a doable motive, however accounts of these within the on-line personal chat group the place the paperwork had been disclosed have depicted Teixeira as motivated extra by bravado than ideology.

Whereas Thursday’s arrest was a pivotal second in an investigation into the highest-profile intelligence leak in years, the army and Justice Division had been nonetheless scrutinizing how delicate authorities secrets and techniques shared in a chat room ended up circulating all over the world. The emergence of Teixeira as a main suspect is certain to lift questions on how such a profound breach, one which the Pentagon termed a “very critical threat to nationwide safety,” may have been attributable to such a younger, low-ranking service member.

“We entrust our members with a variety of duty at a really early age. Take into consideration a younger fight platoon sergeant, and the duty and belief that we put into these people to guide troops into fight,” stated Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman.

Teixeira was a “cyber transport methods specialist,” primarily an IT specialist accountable for army communications networks, together with their cabling and hubs. In that position Teixeira would have had the next degree of safety clearance as a result of he would have additionally been tasked with duty for guaranteeing safety for the networks, a protection official advised the Related Press, talking on the situation of anonymity to debate delicate issues.

Hours after the arrest, Rep. Mike Turner, the Republican chairman of the Home Intelligence Committee, issued a press release pledging to “study why this occurred, why it went unnoticed for weeks, and tips on how to forestall future leaks.”

Teixeira, who was carrying a T-shirt and shorts on the time closely armed tactical brokers took him into custody, is because of have his preliminary courtroom look in Massachusetts on Friday. He may additionally face expenses in a army courtroom.

It was not instantly clear if he had a lawyer who may converse on his behalf, and a telephone message left at a quantity believed to belong to his mom was not returned.