A federal grand jury indicted Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of taking and sharing highly classified intelligence documents. He faces six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information, according to the U.S. Attorney. Teixeira, 21, was arrested by federal agents in April at his family home after he allegedly shared classified documents with an online community from the social-media app Discord, the Wall Street Journal reports. He had been with the Massachusetts Air National Guard since 2019, based at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod. Defense officials said he was a member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing.
“The unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy. “Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens, and its allies.” A judge last month ordered Teixeira to remain in custody as he awaits trial. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Teixeira was charged with sharing information with users on a social platform “he knew were not entitled to receive it.” The leak exposed details of U.S. surveillance of adversaries and allies, causing diplomatic tensions with some U.S. partners. Teixeira began posting sensitive material online as early as December 2022. Investigators identified him as the suspect with the help of billing records from Discord and through interviews with at least one other member of the group that the guardsman allegedly led on that platform.
Comments