US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that a suspect has been arrested in the United States in the investigation into the leaking of classified US documents, confirming information that was previously published in the media including CNN and the “New York Times” on Thursday, April. 13. Earlier today, US President Joe Biden said the investigation is progressing as details begin to emerge in the press about the profile of the suspect, who is believed to be a young member of the Air National Guard.
The leak of these documents, which detail among other things Washington’s views on the war in Ukraine, has raised concerns in the Pentagon about ‘Very high stakes’ For the national security of the country.
sequel after announcement
The arrest took place in Dayton, a small rural town south of Boston, Massachusetts. American televisions, including CNNIt aired in an episode, shortly before the conference of the Minister of Justice, aerial photos showing the arrest of a person by members of the security forces. We could see a man, hands over his head and wearing a gray T-shirt and red shorts, slowly back towards the soldiers before being arrested and then escorted into what appeared to be a civilian car.
‘Our support for Ukraine will not waver’: Biden responds to Putin after his anti-Western rhetoric
“There’s a whole investigation going on, you know, between the intelligence community and the Department of Justice, and they’re getting closer.” Of the result, said Joe Biden during a visit to Ireland.
21-year-old “mole”?
The US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation after documents were leaked online, which appear to indicate the collection of information on close allies of the United States. “I’m worried about that happening.”Joe Biden said without sounding the alarm.
And before any announcement by the US authorities, the Washington Post reported, on Wednesday, that the leak was from a young man who was working on a military base, who posted his information on a private group on the Internet on the social network Discord.
sequel after announcement
The New York Times named Jacques Teixeira, 21, a member of the Intelligence Directorate of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. According to the newspaper, a certain amount of evidence points to him as the leader of the group and responsible for the leaks. This is the suspect arrested on Thursday, reports the daily.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which also reports that the perpetrator is a member of the Air National Guard, the arrest could take place as early as Thursday.
critic of the state
Under the pseudonym “OG”, the suspect has been publishing for the most famous documents from the military base where he works. OG has asked other members of the group not to distribute the documents, asserting that he had no intention of being a whistleblower, The Washington Post reports, citing one of its sources.
He was critical of the state – which he denounced “abuse of power” Law enforcement and intelligence services.
sequel after announcement
The group, of about twenty people, was formed in 2020 around their mutual passion for firearms, military equipment, and religion.
White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said the United States is reviewing “Ramifications” from this leak “For the sake of national security”.
The American journalist of the Wall Street Journal was arrested in Russia on charges of “espionage”.
The Pentagon has also decided to restrict access to this type of sensitive information, Karen Jean-Pierre told the press on the sidelines of Joe Biden’s trip to Ireland.
The spokeswoman added that the US government wants social media “avoid facilitation” Distribute such classified documents, bearing in mind that they have “A responsibility to its users and the country”.
sequel after announcement
A Discord spokesperson told AFP that the safety of its users is the platform’s priority and that any content that violates its rules could result in the offender being disqualified, discussion groups closed, and reported to the authorities. The company also said it is cooperating with law enforcement authorities over the leaks.
American concerns
The documents posted online privately reveal the concerns of the US intelligence community about the feasibility of a Ukrainian counterattack against Russian forces.
A document seen by AFP also expressed US concerns about Ukraine’s ability to continue to defend itself against Russian strikes.
‘Our support for Ukraine will not waver’: Biden responds to Putin after his anti-Western rhetoric
Dozens of images of these documents have been circulated on Twitter, Telegram or Discord in recent days, some of which have undoubtedly circulated on the Internet for weeks, if not months, before attracting the attention of the press.
sequel after announcement
However, the US authorities have not publicly confirmed the authenticity of these documents posted on the Internet, and they have not yet been independently verified.
Many of these documents are no longer available on the sites where they originally appeared, and US authorities are reportedly working to remove them all.
