On Thursday, FBI agents arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, in connection with the leak of classified documents online in recent months. Teixeira, who held the highest-level security clearance for top-secret information, is being investigated for the "alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information." His security clearance and access to classified government systems have been revoked.
Teixeira was allegedly the leader of a private group called "Thug Shaker Central" consisting of roughly 20 to 30 young men where he allegedly shared classified documents. The leaks gained wider attention after another member shared them in a public forum. Investigators are looking at others who may be involved, and the National Guard said it would support the investigation.
The leaked documents mainly concern Russia's invasion of Ukraine, intelligence on China, the Middle East, Israel's spy agency Mossad, and world leaders. U.S. defense officials believe this leak could be "bigger than Snowden" in terms of damage to intelligence and allied relationships.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks warned Pentagon officials against leaking classified information or downloading classified documents from unclassified sources in a memo on Tuesday. President Biden said earlier that the U.S. was "getting close" to finding the person responsible for leaking the documents. Teixeira is expected to make his first court appearance on Friday.
