Who is Jack Teixeira? National Guard airman arrested for Pentagon's biggest document leaks

The FBI arrested a 21-year-old man, Jack Douglas Teixeira, in Massachusetts in connection with the leak of classified US government and military documents. The documents were found floating on social media sites like Twitter and Telegram and included sensitive information about the Russia-Ukraine war, US spying on allies, and more.

FBI's Statement

In a statement on its website, the FBI said that Teixeira had been taken into custody without incident and that his arrest exemplifies their continued commitment to identifying, pursuing, and holding accountable those who betray the country’s trust and put national security at risk. The FBI had been aggressively pursuing investigative leads since late last week, it said.

Who is Jack Teixeira?

Jack Douglas Teixeira is an airman with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, stationed at the Otis Air National Guard Base in Cape Cod. He works as a “cyber transport systems specialist,” responsible for maintaining cabling and hubs for military communications networks.

According to reports, Teixeira comes from a family with a long history of military service. His stepfather retired after 34 years of service at the same military base where Teixeira is working, while his stepbrother is currently working there as well. Teixeira’s mother runs a flower business in Dighton, and she had posted a message wishing him the best for his future military career on Facebook in June 2021.

One of Teixeira’s online friends described him as an intelligent, patriotic man and a devout Catholic with an interest in guns. The friend said that Teixeira knew what he was doing when he posted the documents online, and that the leaks were not accidental.