AURN News with Ebony McMorris

Massachusetts Air National Guard Member Arrested for Alleged Leak of Classified Documents

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the arrest earlier today. Teixeira, a member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, was taken into custody without incident.

Ebony McMorris
April 13, 2023

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A 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member, Jack Teixeira, has been arrested on suspicion of leaking classified defense and intelligence documents. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the arrest earlier today. Teixeira, a member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, was taken into custody without incident.

The leaked documents reportedly revealed sensitive information about U.S. surveillance activities, including communications between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his top military official, South Korea’s apprehensions about sending ammunition to Ukraine, and Israel’s intelligence agency advocating for protests against controversial judicial reforms.

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at the Department of Justice in Washington, Thursday, April 13, 2023. Garland announced that a Massachusetts Air National Guard member who has emerged as a main person of interest in the disclosure of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war was taken into custody Thursday by federal agents. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco stands at left. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

While some of the documents may have been altered, others matched those distributed to military planners. This incident has been compared to previous intelligence breaches, such as those involving Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. In response, military leaders have been reaching out to allies in an effort to minimize the fallout.

Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.

White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris is a native Washingtonian and University of South Carolina alumna. Her passion is mentoring young adults by teaching community empowerment and media education. She is an NAB member and board member of the Thurgood Marshall Center and was presented the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for contributing more than 4,000 hours of community service under the Obama Administration.