Jack Teixeira was arrested in connection with a Pentagon document leak on Thursday, April 13. The 21-year-old was taken away in cuffs for allegedly being linked to a document leak, which had information on American allies and pointed towards weaknesses for the Ukrainian military, per The New York Times. FBI agents brought Teixeira into custody after entering his property.
BREAKING: Sky 5 was overhead as federal agents swarmed a Mass. home and detained a man amid the probe into leaked classified documents about the Ukraine war.
— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) April 13, 2023
The video showed Teixeira being escorted away by armed agents in camouflage uniforms. He wore a pair of bright red basketball shorts and a neutrally colored t-shirt. His hands were behind his back as he walked with the agents. Prior to the arrest, he was seen sitting on his back porch with a book in his hands, as multiple authorities’ vehicles gathered on the street in front of the home. When he surrendered, he walked out with his hands on his head and the agents quickly pulled them back and handcuffed him. They appeared to be preparing to put him in a vehicle.
Teixeira is a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. He was arrested for being an administrator of an online Discord chat called “Thug Shaker Central,” which reportedly was a small group of men who spoke about guns, racist memes, and video games. One member allegedly shared hundreds of pages of classified briefings, which were allegedly leaked from the chat.
The FBI shared a statement about Teixeira’s arrest. “Today, the FBI took 21-year-old Jack Douglas Teixeira into custody without incident at a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts, for his alleged involvement in leaking classified U.S. government and military documents. Since late last week, the FBI has aggressively pursued investigative leads, and today’s arrest exemplifies our continued commitment to identifying, pursuing, and holding accountable those who betray our country’s trust and put our national security at risk,” they said.
The documents did worry some about some military conflicts abroad, including Ukraine’s war against Russia, according to CNN. The documents reportedly detailed United States listening in on allies, including South Korea, Ukraine, and Israel. They also showed how the U.S. has gotten through to Russia’s Ministry of Defense and Wagner Group. It also detailed Ukraine’s weaknesses. The sources named in the documents could be placed in danger because of the leak and Ukraine may alter its defense plans.
