Federal investigators on Thursday arrested a 21-year-old air national guardsman who they believe is linked to a trove of leaked classified U.S. intelligence documents, which have upended relations with American allies and exposed weaknesses in the Ukrainian military.

The man, whom The New York Times was first to identify as Jack Teixeira, is a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard and is tied to an online group where the leaked documents first appeared.

Airman Teixeira oversaw an online Discord group named Thug Shaker Central, where about 20 to 30 people, mostly young men and teenagers, came together over a shared love of guns, racist online memes and video games.

On Thursday afternoon, around a half-dozen rifle-carrying F.B.I. agents pushed onto the property of a residence in North Dighton. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that the agency had made an arrest; the bureau said it was continuing to conduct “authorized law enforcement activity” at the residence. Mr. Garland said Airman Teixeira was accused of illegally sharing classified defense information.

Starting months ago, the authorities say, one of the users of the online group uploaded hundreds of pages of intelligence briefings into the small chat group, lecturing its members, who had bonded during the isolation of the pandemic, on the importance of staying abreast of world events.

The New York Times spoke with four members of the Thug Shaker Central chat group, where Airman Teixeira served as group administrator. While the gaming friends would not identify the group’s leader by name, a trail of digital evidence compiled by The Times led to Airman Teixeira.

Source New York Times

BDST: 1340 HRS, APRIL 14, 2023
MSK