The FBI arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira, a 21-year-old U.S. Air National Guard member, on Thursday in connection with the online disclosures of classified documents that embarrassed Washington with its international allies.
Teixeira, dressed in gym shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers, was arrested at his residence in Dighton, Massachusetts, a mostly forested town of 8,000 people located 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of Boston.
The arrest occurred one week after the disclosures became widely known, putting Washington on edge over the potential damage they may have caused. The incident embarrassed the United States by exposing its surveillance of allies and alleged Ukrainian military weaknesses.
Since more than 700,000 documents, videos, and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010, the leaked documents, primarily on social media sites, have been deemed the most severe security breach.
According to his service document, Teixeira was an airman 1st class at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts. In 2019, he entered the Air National Guard as a "Cyber Transport Systems Journeyman," or IT specialist.
Attorney General Merrick Garland informed reporters that Teixeira was being sought "in connection with an investigation into the alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defence information."
The FBI reported that its agents had engaged in "authorized law enforcement activity at a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts."
Teixeira walked backwards toward the armoured vehicle with his wrists tied behind his head, as one officer observed from the turret of the armoured car, as captured on aerial news footage. He was handcuffed and deposited in the vehicle's trunk. According to Garland, he was arrested "without incident."
Likely Criminal Charges
The Justice Department did not specify the charges against Teixeira, but they will likely entail criminal charges for knowingly retaining and transmitting national defence information.
Brandon Van Grack, a former Justice Department national security prosecutor now a partner at the law firm Morrison Foerster, stated that Teixeira could face up to ten years in prison, even if she did not intend to cause damage.
"Due to the severity of the damage caused by the leaks, this individual faces a lengthy prison sentence," Van Grack explained.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated in a press release that a task force at the Pentagon was "working around the clock to assess and mitigate any damage." A U.S. Attorney's Office spokesperson in Boston said Teixeira was anticipated to appear in court on Friday.
A police roadblock on the route to the residence where Teixeira was detained prevented nearby residents from entering their homes. One was Dick Treacy, who reported seeing officers arrive as he departed for early afternoon shopping.
Treacy stated that there were approximately six to eight armed soldiers present. This is a very peaceful area.
Eddy Souza, 22, stated that he grew up nearby and knew Jack Teixeira from their days at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School.
During their last contact several years ago, Souza stated that Teixeira had not expressed extremist views.
"He's a good kid, not a troublemaker, just a quiet guy," said Souza. "It sounds like it was a stupid kid's mistake."
Damage Assessment
Journalists have discovered evidence that the documents – or at least some of them – were circulating on social media as early as March or even January, even though the disclosure only gained widespread attention following an April 6 New York Times article.
Bellingcat, the Washington Post, and The New York Times have traced the origin of the documents to a defunct Discord server. In an online chat group, Teixeira was known as OG and was admired by the group's predominantly youthful members, who shared a passion for firearms and military gear.
Last week, the Justice Department initiated a formal criminal investigation in response to a referral from the Defense Department, which described the disclosure as a "deliberate, criminal act."
Reuters has reviewed over fifty "Secret" and "Top Secret" documents but has not independently confirmed their authenticity. More than 100 documents have presumably been compromised.
Several nations have questioned the veracity of some disclosed documents, including the United Kingdom, which stated that the information contained "serious inaccuracies."
The disclosures disclosed information about allies such as Israel, South Korea, and Turkey.
The majority of U.S. officials believe the materials to be authentic. Some, however, appear to have been altered to indicate inflated estimates of Ukrainian casualties on the battlefield during the war with Russia and understated figures for Russian forces.
