Jack Teixeira, Air National Guardsman, Arrested Over Leaked Pentagon Documents

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday the arrest of Jack Teixeira in relation to dozens of leaked documents that disclosed sensitive U.S. defense and intelligence information.

According to CBS News, Garland said Teixeira, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, was arrested by FBI agents at his home in Dighton on Thursday afternoon "in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information."

In brief remarks at the Department of Justice headquarters, Garland noted that Teixeira was taken into custody "without incident." The New York Times was the first to reveal Teixeira's name and being a member of the National Guard's 102nd Intelligence Wing on Thursday.

Before Garland announced his arrest, Teixeira was seen in an aerial news video outside his house in North Dighton walking backward with his hands on his head as officers carrying rifles watched him. Teixeira was promptly arrested and placed in the back of an armored vehicle.

Jack Teixeira Might Face Criminal Charges Due to Leaked Documents

Without saying what the exact charges Jack Teixeira would face, the Justice Department said indictments may include criminal charges of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information, Reuters reported.

Even if Teixeira did not mean to harm anyone, the accusations he faces might send him to prison for up to 10 years, according to Brandon Van Grack, a former national security prosecutor for the Justice Department who is now with the law firm Morrison Foerster.

"This is someone facing the higher end of exposure for years in prison... because the leaks were so damaging," Van Grack said.

Pentagon officials have been "working around the clock to analyze and mitigate any damage," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

According to a representative for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston, Teixeira was scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

Jack Teixeira Joined Air National Guard in 2019

According to CNN, the Air Force declassified Jack Teixeira's military record as an Airman 1st Class.

The Air Force disclosed facts from Teixeira's military record on Thursday, which showed that he is an enlisted airman with the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

His official military title is "Cyber Transport Systems journeyman." He was enlisted in September 2019. Cyber Transport Systems experts are responsible for maintaining the Air Force's "vast, global communications network," the military stated.

According to many of his former high school friends who spoke with CNN on Thursday, Teixeira was fascinated by the military, weapons, and war.

Occasionally, he wore camouflage to class, carried a "dictionary-sized book on guns," and behaved in a way that made some of his classmates uneasy.

"Many people were wary of him," said Brooke Cleathero, who attended middle and high school with Teixeira. "He was more of a loner and having a fascination with war and guns made him off-putting to many people."

CNN obtained some of the leaked documents posted to social media. The outlet reported that the highly classified documents include details about the war in Ukraine, the challenges Kyiv and Moscow face, anticipated Russia's airstrikes on specific targets, and other war plans of Russia.

After the leaked documents incident, the Pentagon began restricting access to its highly classified daily intelligence briefs to a smaller group of government officials.

As the Pentagon's Joint Staff continues to trim its distribution lists, several U.S. officials who used to receive the daily briefing materials have ceased receiving them recently, sources familiar with the situation told CNN.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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