Secret Document Leak: FBI Arrests 21-Year-Old National Guardsman

According to Reuters, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Teixeria "in connection with an investigation into the unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information."

The arrest took place in the early afternoon of April 13 (local time), without any incident.

Jack Douglas Teixeira is escorted by FBI officers - Photo: WCTV-TV/ABC/REUTERS

"Since last weekend, the FBI has been aggressively pursuing investigative leads and today's arrest demonstrates our continued commitment to identifying, pursuing and holding accountable those who betray the nation's trust and put our national security at risk," an FBI statement said.

Video broadcast on news channels showed heavily armed officers escorting a young man wearing a grey T-shirt and red shorts into a waiting car.

The US Justice Department did not specify what specific charges Teixeira would face.

Jack Teixeira is an information technology specialist for the US Air National Guard, responsible for military communications networks including cable systems and hubs.

Accounts from people in an online chat group linked to the leak have shown he was “motivated more by courage than ideology,” according to the AP.

Suspect in the leak of classified documents is taken to a car - Photo: WCTV-TV/ABC/REUTERS

Former US Justice Department national security prosecutor Brandon Van Grack, now with the law firm Morrison Foerster, told Reuters the charges could carry a 10-year prison sentence even if Teixeira did not intend to cause harm.

According to AP , the US military and Justice Department are still looking into how sensitive government secrets spread around the world.

Teixeira's emergence as a prime suspect will certainly raise questions about how such a serious violation — which the Pentagon calls a "very serious risk to national security" — could have been perpetrated by such a young, low-ranking military member.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/vu-ro-ri-tai-lieu-mat-fbi-bat-giu-ve-binh-quoc-gia-21-tuoi-20230414064150952.htm