US leaks: When the FBI came, the suspect was reading a book on the porch

The publication of secret US documents causes a stir. Now the FBI has arrested a man. What was his motive? And: How could that happen? In the search for the originator of the massive secret service data leak, US investigators seem to have found the leak: On Thursday (local time), the US Federal Police FBI arrested a 21-year-old member of the US military in the State of Massachusetts arrested. The suspect made his first appearance in a Boston court on Friday. The authorities announced that he should remain in custody until the next hearing on Wednesday. The 21-year-old is said to have stolen numerous secret US government documents and distributed content and photographs of them online. A large part of the documents is said to relate to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine: information on arms deliveries, assessments of the course of the war, but also details on alleged US spying actions against partners. It is unclear what is authentic and what may have been edited. A spokesman for the US Department of Defense had classified the leak of the documents as a “very serious threat” to national security. The publication has also raised concerns among Western partners. Who is the man believed to be behind the release? For what purpose did he publish the documents? And: What does the interior design in the parents’ house have to do with his exposure? An overview.Who is the man?The suspect is a member of the Air National Guard and is 21 years old, according to US sources. According to several US media reports, the man, by the name of Jack Douglas Teixeira, joined the National Guard in September 2019. There he is said to have been trained as a specialist in cyber transport systems. This was reported by those responsible for the American Air Force in the “New York Times”. His task was therefore to look after the communications network of the troops. According to the US newspaper “Washington Post”, the suspect is fond of weapons and is said to have described the US government as a “dark force”, among other things. According to several US media reports, the man is said to have led a chat group on the Discord platform popular with video gamers called “Thug Shaker Central”. Around two dozen young people with a penchant for weapons and military equipment had joined forces there. Apparently he was dubbed “OG” on the forum and described by other users as a charismatic gun nut with dark views of the US government, intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies. How did he go about it? On the forum, “OG” told the group that The Washington Post reports that he obtained the documents at a military base where he worked. According to his own account, he spent parts of the day in a secure facility where cell phones and other electronic devices that can be used to take photos or videos were prohibited. That’s why he first copied the documents – and in his own words “toiled for hours”. He posted his posts in the group throughout the winter. When copying proved too much of a hassle, he began posting images of previously printed papers, according to the newspaper. “OG” stopped sharing documents with the chat group in mid-March, the Washington Post continues. The reason was that someone from the circle – to which users from Russia and Ukraine are said to have belonged – had posted documents in another group at the end of February and thus broken the agreed secrecy. In fact, various documents found their way from the original chat room to other Discord servers and the 4chan platform up to Telegram. This was the result of research by the investigative network “Bellingcat”. The content on Telegram was therefore mainly distributed by pro-Russian channels and from there it finally reached Twitter. At the beginning of April, shortly before the “New York Times” reported on the leak, “OG” seemed desperate, quoted the “Washington Post”. minor member of the original group: “He said something happened and he prays to God that this event does not occur.” How did the investigators get on his trail? home in North Dighton, a town between Boston and Providence in the eastern United States. Footage shows the suspect reading a book on the porch when officers arrived, Business Insider reports. According to officials, investigators had already targeted Teixeira a few days earlier. The FBI followed up its own investigation leads, but also information uncovered by several media. For example, the “New York Times” claims to have received information about the man from two members of the online group. The fact that Teixeira switched from copying the documents to photographing them also provided clues to journalists and investigators. The “New York Times” writes that details on the edge of some photos of the published secret documents should match details of the interior of the 21-year-old’s parents’ house – including the distinctive grain of a table top. According to the report, the family photos could be found on social media. If charged and later convicted, Teixeira could face a long prison sentence. What is his motive? There is still no clear picture of the motivation, and the Minister of Justice did not give any details. Despite his gloomy views, Teixeira was not hostile to the US government, writes the Washington Post, citing people close to him. According to chat users, he was not a Russian or Ukrainian agent either. Washington Post, “Why did he have access to the classified documents?” That a 21-year-old National Guardsman of rather low rank had access to top secret documents raises questions. The case also shows how many in the US security apparatus have access to classified information, despite some changes following the 2013 Snowden revelations. According to the New York Times, members of the US armed forces who have top secret clearance include: not only almost all of the more than 600 generals of the various armed forces. But also some of their military aides, many colonels who work in the Pentagon, captains of naval ships, a variety of junior officers and even, as in the present case, soldiers who work in intelligence units. According to the Pentagon, the number of people with such access is in the “thousands, if not tens of thousands,” the newspaper continued. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has now announced a “review” of access to intelligence information. The Defense Ministry’s “accountability and control procedures” are also to be reviewed to “prevent this type of incident.” What punishment does he face? Teixeira was brought before a judge for the first time on Friday. The National Guard’s IT specialist is accused of treachery, or in American legal jargon, the “unauthorized removal, storage and transmission of classified and national defense information.” He is said to be responsible for one of the most momentous releases of secret US documents in recent years. If convicted, he could face several years behind bars. Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced a “very harsh” sentence. People who sign agreements to obtain classified documents know how important it is to national security not to share them, Garland said. President Joe Biden instructed the military and intelligence agencies to tighten security to prevent such incidents in the future.