How did the FBI track down Jack Teixeira, who is charged with classified documents leak?
The FBI tracked down Jack Teixeira, the Air Force National Guard airman who is charged with leaking classified documents about the war in Ukraine, through the social media account where he posted the information, according to court records.
The FBI had been investigating the unauthorized posting of dozens of images of classified documents, many of which were marked “top secret,” on a variety of internet sites. Some of the documents were used during Pentagon briefings of military leaders and civilian officials.
Teixeira accessed one of the documents in February 2023, about one day before it was posted on the internet, according to FBI Special Agent Patrick Lueckenhoff.
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On April 6, Teixeira used his government computer to search for classified intelligence reporting for the word “leak,” which suggested he was looking for information about the intelligence community was searching for him, Lueckenhoff said in an affidavit.
On Monday, authorities interviewed the administrator of Discord, a social media platform for voice, video and texting mostly used by teens, about the documents that began appearing in December, Lueckenhoff said. By January, the user began posting documents about the war in Ukraine, including troop movements based on classified sources and methods, Lueckenhoff said.
The administrator spoke by video chat or voice calls with the person posting the documents, Lueckenhoff said. The conversations revealed the user, a clean-cut white male in his 20s, called himself Jack, lived in Massachusetts and worked for the Air National Guard.
On Wednesday, Discord provided the FBI with records describing Teixeira and his address in North Dighton, Mass. Investigators found Teixeira held top secret and sensitive compartmented information clearances because of his job as an airman in the Air National Guard.
FBI agents arrested Teixiera without incident the next day, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Teixeira has been charged with gathering defense information and unauthorized removal of classified documents. He was arrested Thursday and made an initial court appearance Friday.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jack Teixeira: How FBI found suspect in Pentagon documents leak probe
