US intelligence leak – magnitude likely larger than previously known

“The information to which the suspect had — and still has — access goes far beyond what has previously been published on the Internet,” the prosecutors said in a letter. A hearing was scheduled for Thursday. The prosecution is demanding that the arrested military IT specialist remain in prison. Jack Teixeira, in his early 20s, faces at least 25 years in prison if convicted.

Teixeira is suspected of publishing highly confidential documents in a private chat room. From there, they would have continued to spread until authorities and the media became aware of them. The classified information includes, for example, information about the Russian offensive war against Ukraine, but also details about alleged US espionage operations against partners. Teixeira was arrested two weeks ago. The National Guard’s IT specialist is charged with the unauthorized deletion, storage and transmission of classified and national defense information.

A major threat to national security

Prosecutors now claim that Teixeira continues to pose a major threat to national security. “He may still have access to a wealth of classified information that could be of immense value to enemy states,” the statement said. “These could provide him with a safe haven and facilitate his escape from the United States.” The damage that the suspect could still do is extraordinary. The suspect also tried to destroy evidence before his arrest. According to the prosecutor, Teixeira would have had access to “hundreds” of classified information from about February 2022.

So far, the suspect has reportedly shared this online from December. The letter from the lawyers, in view of Teixeira’s statements on the internet, now states: “The Defendant has admitted several times that he had published classified information and that he had done so before December 2022.” The US government is still investigating whether and where the defendant keeps additional copies of the classified information – including material that has not yet been released. Teixeira has repeatedly tried “to prevent the government from gaining a full picture of the seriousness and extent of his conduct”.

Racist and violent past

The prosecution also alleges that Teixeira has a disturbing history of racist and violent statements. He was suspended from high school for comments about guns and Molotov cocktails. When he was arrested, several weapons were found in his room. The suspect has repeatedly participated in “detailed and disturbing discussions of violence and murder”. In the chat room, he said, among other things, that if it were up to him, he would “kill a lot of people” because it would “eliminate the weak”.

American media also reported that the data breach initially had personal consequences. The Air Force has suspended two of Teixeira’s superiors. The suspensions are temporary pending an investigation into the matter. US President Joe Biden came under pressure in the aftermath of the scandal, when doubts arose over the security of highly confidential documents. The Democrat instructed his administration to limit access to classified information in the future. (oee/sda/dpa)