MA Air National Guardsman from Dighton stationed on Cape Cod, arrested over military leaks
BOURNE — Attorney General Merrick Garland announced this afternoon that an employee of the U.S. Air National Guard, Jack Teixeira, had been arrested by the Justice Department in connection with the alleged removal and transmission of classified intelligence documents. He will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.
The 21-year-old North Dighton Air National Guardsman has been taken to into custody in connection with leaked military intelligence documents.
Teixeira is listed as a low-level member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Air National Guard, based on Cape Cod. He was stationed at Joint Base Cape Cod for a portion of his time in the military.
Teixeira in court Friday Access, clearance, will determine charges against Jack Teixeira: What we know Friday
No record of Teixeira serving in Fort Bragg
An official at Fort Bragg late Thursday issued a statement saying a Massachusetts Air National guardsman accused of leaking classified documents does not appear to have served at Fort Bragg. Initial media reports suggested he worked at the military installation in North Carolina.
"After exhausting efforts across the organizations on our installation, we are unable to confirm that Jack Teixeira had any service history or has been affiliated with any unit on Fort Bragg," Maj. Matt Visser, spokesman for the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg said.
-- Rachael Riley and F.T. Norton, The Fayetteville Observer
More than 100 U.S. documents were leaked in all.
Jack Teixeira was taken into custody at about 1:30 p.m. and a massive police presence was observed in the North Dighton neighborhood where his family lives, according to a reporter on the scene.
The leaked documents appear to be highly sensitive reports tied to the war effort in Ukraine, including data on military activities like U.S. drone spy planes in the area and Ukrainian forces’ use of ammunition. They appear to show how the U.S. views Ukrainian forces’ training and state of readiness, plus the number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed and equipment destroyed in the ongoing conflict, as well.
More than 100 U.S. documents were leaked in all. The files also contained sensitive, classified information about the war in Ukraine, Russian military activity, China and the Middle East.
Police have blocked off Maple Street in Dighton
Dighton Police and FBI are on the scene on Maple Street and are not letting anyone near 1841 Maple St., Jack Teixeira's family home.
People who live within the blockaded area are not being allowed to enter the area to return to their homes.
The property at 1841 Maple St. is also home to Bayberry Farm & Flower Co. owned by Dawn Dufault, who told the Taunton Daily Gazette in February in a story about local businesses she has "only been doing this business full-time for the last five years." She said the farm does floral arrangements for weddings, funeral and other events and hosts floral arranging workshops.
−Taunton Gazette staff report
Talking to Jack Teixeira's family
Jack Teixeira’s stepfather Tom Dufault and stepbrother Alex Dufault also worked at Joint Base Cape Cod, according to Teixeira’s step-uncle James Dufault.
Dufault is Tom’s brother who lives in Mashpee. James Dufault had no other comments when Times reporter Rachael Devaney contacted him.
What is the Pentagon saying: Air National Guardsman arrested in Pentagon document leak investigation
Who is Airman Jack Teixeira?
Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, who was arrested Thursday and charged in the Pentagon leak case, is an airman first class who joined the Air National Guard in September 2019, according to the Air Force.
He works for the Massachusetts Air National Guard at Otis Air National Guard Base. His job title is cyber transport systems journeyman.
He has been decorated with an Air Force Achievement Medal.
-- Bart Jansen, USA Today Network
More: Air National Guardsman arrested in Pentagon document leak investigation
What to know about Dighton, Massachusetts
Dighton is a rural working-class town of about 8,000 in Southeastern, Massachusetts and is home to Bristol County Agricultural High School. North Dighton is a section of Dighton, not a separate town. The town tends to lean conservative politically, voting for Donald Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
− Rebecca Hyman, Taunton Gazette
What is the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard?
The mission is to provide worldwide precision intelligence and command and control along with trained and experienced airmen for expeditionary combat support and homeland security, according to its website.
What is Thug Shaker Central?
Teixeira oversaw a private Discord channel called Thug Shaker Central, according to multiple reports. Discord is a voice, video and chat app used by people 13 years and older. The Thug Shaker Central private chat group was comprised of about 20 to 30 people, mostly young men and teens, the reports say.
What is Discord?
Discord is a free communication platform that launched in 2015. It is a popular way to talk and share text, photos and video online. It's similar to Skype, WhatsApp and Slack and is especially popular among gamers trying to organize and chat during online video game sessions.
It is also used by online communities as a message board to discuss shared interests. Groups can be created on public or private servers in similar ways to group texts.
Discord has 6.7 million active users as of August 2022.
− Dan Rorabaugh, USA Today Network
What are the FBI and federal officials saying?
FBI officials have been tight-lipped about developments.
Massachusetts Congressmen William Keating and Seth Moulton speak out
Congressman William Keating, D-Mass, whose district includes Joint Base Cape Cod, released a statement Thursday morning before Teixeira was identified: "While the FBI investigation continues and they haven’t officially named a suspect, whoever leaked this information will and should face serious criminal charges."
Congressman Seth Moulton, who represents the 6th Congressional District and is a veteran, issued the following statement: “Leaking classified material threatens all of our lives. It directly threatens the lives of the brave Americans who collect intelligence; it cuts off our means to collect vital intelligence in the future; it undermines our foreign policy; it undermines our allies; and it emboldens our adversaries. These things make every American less safe.
Let’s also be clear: This is not whistleblowing. It is a cowardly and extraordinarily reckless criminal act. With an active war in Europe and China ratcheting up tensions in the Pacific, this document leak could have far-ranging implications, most of which we’ve yet to fully realize. Most concerning is its impact on our ability to collect the intelligence to keep us safe in the future.
I trust that the FBI's investigation will be thorough, and that the administration will take the necessary steps to ensure that this is handled judiciously and will not happen again."
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Dighton man, Cape Cod guardsman arrested for Ukraine military leaks: Live
