The FBI has arrested a suspect in the leak of classified Pentagon data
- Author:
- Anhelina Sheremet
- Date:
The FBI arrested 21-year-old Jack Teixeira on suspicion of involvement in the leak of classified information of the US Department of Defense.
This was reported by The New York Times.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland officially announced the arrest of Jack Teixeira in the case of leaked documents.
Before that, The New York Times reported that 21-year-old US National Guard Jack Teixeira was the administrator of the Discord channel where the Pentagonʼs secret documents were published. The boy served in the US Air Force Guard in Massachusetts. He was a member of the intelligence unit and could have access to such documents. Teixeira was able to be counted thanks to his accounts on the Internet, in particular in the game service Steam.
On April 13, The Washington Post reporters spoke with an alleged member of a Discord chat where more than hundreds of classified Pentagon documents were sent. The authors of the material assume that behind this is a "weapon enthusiast" who worked at a military base and shared secret information with his friends.
- On April 6, it became known that classified military documents related to the counteroffensive of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the war against Russia were published on social networks (Twitter and Telegram). The published documents seem to differ from the initial version — they overestimate American estimates of the losses of the Ukrainian army and underestimate the probable number of Russians killed. But the photos of schedules of arms deliveries, the number of troops and battalions, and other plans look authentic. The Pentagon is conducting its own investigation.
- On April 7, it became known that the second batch of secret documents of the American authorities was published on the network. They are talking not only about Ukraine, but also about the activities of the USA in the Indo-Pacific region, in the Middle East, actions to fight terrorism and rivalry with China.
- On April 9, Bellingcat reported that documents from the Pentagon began to appear on the Internet as early as January 2023 on some Discord servers where video game fans chatted.
- On April 10, the Pentagon confirmed that due to the leak of documents, "very sensitive secret" information became public.