The United States has scrambled to find who was responsible for the major intelligence leaks that surfaced online. A report on the leak found that the person responsible for the intelligence leak was a gun enthusiast who worked at a military base.
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that a firearms enthusiast in his 20s was responsible for the major intelligence leak which prompted a national security investigation. The report said that the person shared classified information with a group on the Discord streaming and messaging service. The group was made up of men and boys who have a “mutual love of guns, military gear, and God.”
The outlet based its report on interviews with members of the chat group. On the same day, Discord said in a statement that it was cooperating with authorities on the matter.
The intelligence leak resulted in the Justice Department launching an investigation last week after the issue was referred to the agency by the Pentagon, which is already looking into the extent of the damage done. The country’s national security agencies, aside from the DOJ, are also looking into the damage to national security and relations with US allies and other countries.
In what might be the most sensitive leaks of US secrets in years, photos of classified documents were shared on Discord and other platforms, including the 4Chan forum, the Telegram messaging platform, and on Twitter.
On Thursday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation carried out the arrest of the alleged leaker, identified as Jack Douglas Teixeira, who works for the US Air National Guard. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI arrested Teixeira “in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information.”
Garland told reporters that the investigation is underway but did not reveal any further details. Video footage by the media showed armed officers accompanying Teixeira into a car. The DOJ did not reveal what charges may be pressed on Teixeira, but it would likely be criminal charges of deliberately retaining and sharing national defense information.
A spokesperson for the US Attorney in Boston, Massachusetts, where Teixeira is based, said Teixeira is expected to make his first appearance on Friday.