The 21-year-old Air National Guardsman suspected of leaking leaking of several highly classified military documents online was a "video game and gun nut", it is reported.
FBI and heavily armed tactical agents yesterday swarmed the Massachusetts home of Teixeira and took him into custody for the crimes.
He today appeared in court for the first time to be charged with leaking the docs, which it is feared could make allies wary of sharing intelligence with the United States, and could face ten years in prison if found guilty.
Teixeira is accused of being behind “the Pentagon leaks”, which includes dozens, perhaps hundreds, of pages of highly confidential information, memos and documents leaked to an online chat group named Thug Shaker Central.
It is so far known it includes details on the war in Ukraine, however more information has yet been known.
The Pentagon has confirmed it is “reviewing its policies” on safeguarding classified materials.
However some allies are feared to be very concerned, although Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki has denied it would affect his country’s confidence.
He told the Guardian: “I’m not going to think twice.
“I believe failures happen and mistakes happen, but we have to be as close as possible to our allies in western Europe and the United States.
“We have to unite on this front as well.”
During his court appearance he arrived shackled and handcuffed in beige jail clothes, before sitting at a table beside his lawyer.
Teixeira spoke quietly during the hearing, whispering “yes” as the judge informed him of his rights as a criminal defendant.
As the hearing ended, a man in the courtroom shouted, “Love you, Jack," to which he replied: “You too, Dad.”
Judge Hennessy ordered Teixeira to remain behind bars, pending a hearing next Wednesday.
Below we take a closer look at the man believed to be behind the leaks.
Who is Airman Jack Teixeira?
Known to members of the Thug Shaker Central by his jackthedripper handle and nicknamed the O.G, Teixera is a 21-year-old Airman with the National Guard.
A keen gamer and gun enthusiast, he was trained as a cyber transport systems specialist and assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in western Cape Cod where he held top security clearance since 2021.
The group was said to have a shared love of "guns, military gear and God".
His official title is Cyber Transport Systems journeyman and holds a junior position within the unit as an Airman 1st class.
FBI agents swarmed Teixeira’s Massachusetts home and heavily armed tactical agents took a man wearing a T-shirt and shorts into custody.
One of Teixeira's friends from the group told the New York Times: “This guy was a Christian, anti-war, just wanted to inform some of his friends about what’s going on.”
In court FBI Special Agent Patrick Lueckenhoff said Teixeira would have “signed a lifetime binding non-disclosure agreement” to take on the role.
Former school friends of the airman told how he had a fascination with the military, guns and war, and sometimes wore camouflage to school, carried a “dictionary-sized book on guns”, and behaved in a way that made some students uneasy.
Brooke Cleathero, who attended school with Teixeira, said: “A lot of people were wary of him.
“He was more of a loner, and having a fascination with war and guns made him off-putting to a lot of people.”
The National Guard said in a statement: “We are aware of the investigation into the alleged role a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman may have played in the recent leak of highly-classified documents.”
Before the FBI swopped on his home on Thursday, he reportedly made a panicked final call to his gamer friends before he was arrested, saying: "Guys, it’s been good. I love you all."
What has he leaked?
Several of the leaked documents seem to show US espionage tactics for the war in Ukraine.
Some reveal apparent weaknesses in the nation’s air defence systems and its military battalions.
Concerningly, some seem to suggest the US had been monitoring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s calls.
It is believed at least 50 pages of documents were leaked, although the final number may be in the hundreds.
What has President Joe Biden said of the leaks?
Simply put, the US President says he is “not concerned” by the biggest leaks of confidential documents in the last decade.
He is currently on an overseas trip in Ireland where he ignored earlier questions on the ongoing investigation.
He earlier said of the leak: “I'm concerned that it happened.
“But there's nothing contemporaneous that I'm aware of.”
Court appearance
Teixeira was ordered to remain behind bars pending a hearing next week, as he appeared in a federal court today with the Justice Department preparing to outline the criminal case against him.
He appeared in federal court on Boston today, one day after his arrest.
A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed until at least a detention hearing set for next Wednesday.
Justice Department prosecutors are expected to reveal new details about the allegations while unsealing a criminal complaint in Boston charging Teixeira under an Espionage Act provision that makes it a crime to remove, retain or transmit national defense information.
Teixeira arrived in court, handcuffed and in tan jail clothes, ahead of his initial appearance. He sat at the defense table next to his lawyer.
