The recent arrest of 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a former member of the US Air National Guard, has sent shockwaves through the US defense establishment. Teixeira is accused of sharing top-secret Pentagon files with his friends on Discord.
As reported by The Sun , the documents contain sensitive information related to US and NATO plans to help Ukraine prepare ahead of a spring offensive against Russia, as well as details about weapons deliveries, battalion strengths and missile capabilities of China and Russia. The leak, which is considered to be one of the worst intelligence breaches in US history, has raised serious concerns about national security and the protection of classified information.
Teixeira, who held a top security clearance based on his training and experience, was arrested by FBI agents at his mother’s property in North Dighton, Massachusetts, on Thursday. According to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, Teixeira was taken into custody “without incident.” In a forested area, heavily-armed agents were seen placing the suspect, wearing red shorts and with his hands behind his back, into an unmarked sports utility vehicle, as shown in the helicopter footage obtained by the news outlet.
Teixeira was charged with two federal counts related to the unauthorized removal, transmission, and detention of national defense information. According to court documents, Teixeira began sharing classified documents with his private Discord gaming group called “Thug Shaker Central,” which consisted of roughly 20 to 30 teens and young men, over a period of months dating back to December 2022. The group, which members say became a “tight-knit family” during the Covid-19 pandemic, bonded over their “mutual love of guns, military gear, and God.”
Prior to his arrest, Teixeira frantically joined a Discord gaming community call with his friends. According to a friend who spoke to The Times , Teixeira’s voice sounded as if he was in a speeding car. Teixeira is reported to have told his friends, “Guys, it’s been good – I love you all. I never wanted it to get like this. I prayed to God that this would never happen.”
The leak of the top-secret documents came to light in early April after being reported by The New York Times and a Russian news outlet. The Washington Post reviewed about 300 photos of classified documents allegedly leaked by Teixeira, most of which have not been made public. They confirmed that the serious security breach revealed critical information about US and NATO plans to help Ukraine defend against potential Russian aggression, as well as sensitive details about the missile capabilities of China and Russia.
The documents also contained information about a British spy plane narrowly avoiding being shot down by the Russians due to a missile malfunction. The leak fueled speculation about Vladimir Putin’s health amid rumors that he is battling cancer, as the documents suggested that the Russian leader is undergoing chemotherapy and that his inner circle could be using his deteriorating health to plot against him. The Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryde has condemned the leak as a “deliberate criminal act.”