FBI Arrests Air National Guard Member Linked to Pentagon Leak

Federal agents arrested 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guard member, in connection with the leak of classified Pentagon materials pertaining to the Ukraine war and foreign intelligence operations.

Key Quote: Speaking to the media, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “FBI agents took Teixeira into custody earlier this afternoon without incident. He will have an initial appearance at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder stated, “We have rules in place. Each of us signs a nondisclosure agreement. This is a criminal act, a willful violation of those.” Earlier Thursday, President Biden told reporters that federal officials were “getting close” to locating the source of the leak.

For Context: Last week, the New York Times reported on a batch of leaked classified documents that had been circulating online for weeks. The documents contained information on Ukrainian forces’ continued military ability and arms and ammunition supplies, as well as information on U.S. surveillance conducted on allied countries such as Israel and South Korea. The documents were reportedly first shared in a private server on the chat platform Discord before appearing on other websites. On Wednesday, the Washington Post (Lean Left Bias) published a report interviewing a member of the private Discord server who is friends with the leaker. 

How The Media Covered It: The arrest is the top story on outlets across the spectrum as more details come to light regarding the identity and motivations of the leaker.