Who’s Jack Teixeira? What we all know concerning the suspected Pentagon leaker

The particular person on the heart of the large leak of inner labeled paperwork from the Pentagon that detailed the warfare in Ukraine and U.S. spying efforts on the planet has been recognized as Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guardsmen.

The extremely delicate paperwork, of which there have been greater than 100, present information on:

Navy actions, together with U.S. spy planes within the space
U.S. officers’ views on Ukrainian forces’ coaching and readiness
New estimates on Ukrainian and Russian troops killed and gear destroyed

Teixeira was arrested with out incident Thursday after federal investigators searched his mom’s residence.

“FBI brokers took Teixeira into custody earlier this afternoon with out incident,” Lawyer Common Merrick Garland mentioned throughout a information convention Thursday. “We are going to share extra info on the acceptable time.”

Right here’s what we find out about Teixeira and the leaks.

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Who’s Jack Teixeira?

Teixeira is a 21-year-old resident of North Dighton, Massachusetts, public information present. Situated in southeastern Massachusetts, the city is a few 30-minute drive from Windfall, Rhode Island. His most up-to-date handle was additionally listed as the house of two adults of their 50s, almost certainly his dad and mom.

Teixeira is a member of the Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guard and chief of the Discord group the place greater than 100 labeled paperwork have been leaked throughout the previous few months.

In that Discord group, a well-liked chat app amongst players, referred to as Thug Shaker Central, one particular person leaked a number of labeled paperwork that offered U.S. perception into the warfare in Ukraine and different army actions.

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What Pentagon paperwork is Teixeira suspected of leaking?

Teixeira is suspected of leaking lots of of labeled army paperwork to the Discord group. Members of the group advised the New York Occasions and the Washington Put up that they referred to the chief as “O.G.” however declined to determine him by title.

The Justice Division introduced Saturday that it will be opening an investigation into the leak of the labeled paperwork which have been labeled secret and never for distribution to overseas governments. The paperwork offered particular particulars behind U.S. forces within the area and Ukraine’s use of ammunition within the warfare.

Following his arrest on Thursday, Teixeira was charged with alleged unauthorized removing, retention and transmission of labeled nationwide protection info, Garland mentioned.

What was Jack Teixeira’s job within the army?

Teixeira labored for the Massachusetts Air Nationwide Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, which is positioned on the Otis Air Nationwide Guard Base in Cape Cod.

“Our mission is to offer worldwide precision intelligence and command and management together with skilled and skilled Airmen for expeditionary fight help and homeland safety,” the wing’s web site says.

His rank is Airman 1st Class, in line with his army service file, a low rank. His job title is Cyber Transport Programs Journeymen, a job that requires repairing communication techniques, in line with the Air Drive web site.

Might Jack Teixeira be tied to extremism?

By Thursday afternoon, specialists have been already suggesting Teixeira might have been influenced by right-wing extremism to take the actions he did.

Citing the Washington Put up reporting that an individual it recognized because the leak suspect could be seen in a video yelling ”a collection of racial and antisemitic slurs into the digicam,” Wendy Through and Heidi Beirich, co-founders of the International Challenge Towards Hate and Extremism, cautioned if investigators are right and the leak got here from contained in the army “this needs to be an enormous get up name for the US authorities.”

“There are infinite explanation why it is harmful to have far-right, racist, and anti-government characters infiltrating the U.S. army, and nationwide safety is among the most vital,” Through and Beirich wrote in a press release.

Daryl Johnson, a safety guide and former senior analyst for home terrorism on the Division of Homeland Safety, agreed.

“We have counterintelligence threats as a result of these individuals have clearances, which they need to not have,” Johnson mentioned.

Johnson cautioned Thursday that it was nonetheless unclear whether or not Teixeira had politically extremist views, however pointed to the Put up’s reporting concerning the racist statements as sturdy proof of a motive in leaking the paperwork.

“It’s smoke at this level,” he mentioned. “It’s not a hearth.”

What’s the Discord group?

The Discord group consisted of round 20-30 members, most of which have been younger males and youngsters in line with a number of media studies. Teixeira was the chief of the group and glided by the deal with “jackthedripper,” the Washington Put up reported Thursday.

The group bonded over Discord through the pandemic after they have been caught at residence and remoted from the skin world, in line with the New York Occasions and the Washington Put up. Within the group, members shared racist memes and pursuits in weapons and video video games.