Air National Guardsman indicted for allegedly leaking classified documents

Jack Texeira, an Air National Guard member who was taken into custody in April for disseminating documents containing sensitive US intelligence information, has been charged with six counts of deliberately withholding and transmitting classified national defense data. The federal grand jury indicted Texeira, and he could potentially be sentenced to 60 years in prison. The 10-page indictment reportedly contained a condensed version of the national secrets that Texeira purportedly obtained from the Cape Cod air base and shared with others on Discord.

Texeira was arrested by the Justice Department in April as part of an investigation into the “unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information.” Although earlier reports suggested he was sharing national secrets under a pseudonym on Discord, he was identified through an Instagram account he linked to his Steam profile. The pictures on the account showed the same granite kitchen countertops and floor tiles that were also visible in the leaks.

According to the 10-page indictment, Texeira mishandled classified information, which included details of military supplies to Ukraine and details of Russian and Ukrainian troop movements. He also reportedly leaked documents showing how the US spies on its foreign allies. Some of the documents he shared with the public had markings indicating that they had the most highly restricted classification and could only be viewed in a secure environment.

According to previous reports, Texeira had no intention of becoming a whistleblower and only started sharing documents to impress his gaming friends. He began by copying sensitive information by hand because he worked in an institution that banned cameras and phones, but was eventually able to publish photographs of the original documents. After his arrest, prosecutors presented his history of violent and racist threats in court. The Justice Department’s National Security Division also argued for his indefinite detention because he may still possess information that would be of “enormous value to hostile nation states.” Additionally, the Justice Department has revealed that Air Force officials failed to remove Texeira from his job and take appropriate action after catching him copying sensitive details and actively seeking classified information months before his arrest.