Federal prosecutors on Wednesday said that they would ask a judge to keep behind bars a Massachusetts-based US Air National Guard member accused of leaking highly classified military documents, as he might still have access to secret national defense information he could expose.
In court papers filed late in the day, the US Department of Justice lawyers said releasing 21-year-old Jack Teixeira from jail while he awaits trial would be a grave threat to US national security.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether he kept any physical or digital copies of classified information, including files that have not surfaced publicly, they wrote.
Photo: REUTERS
“There simply is no condition or combination of conditions that can ensure the Defendant will not further disclose additional information still in his knowledge or possession,” prosecutors wrote. “The damage the Defendant has already caused to the U.S. national security is immense. The damage the Defendant is still capable of causing is extraordinary.”
A detention hearing was scheduled for yesterday in a federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts, for Teixeira, who has been in jail since his arrest earlier this month on charges stemming from the highest-profile US intelligence leak in years.
Prosecutors said in their filing that Teixeira’s attorneys have indicated that they would urge the judge to release him to his father’s home.
Photo: REUTERS / US Department of Justice
As of late Wednesday, Teixeira’s attorneys had not filed court papers arguing for his release.
Teixeira has been charged under the US’ Espionage Act with unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information.
He has not yet entered a plea, and his attorney after last week’s hearing declined to speak to reporters.
He is accused of distributing highly classified documents about top national security issues in a chat room on Discord, a social media platform that started as a hangout for gamers.
The leak stunned military officials, sparked international uproar and raised fresh questions about the US’ ability to safeguard its secrets.
In describing Teixeira as a danger to the community, prosecutors wrote that the suspect, who owned multiple guns, repeatedly had “detailed and troubling discussions about violence and murder” on the platform, on which authorities say he shared the documents.
In February, he told another person that he was tempted to make a minivan into an “assassination van,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors also disclosed that Teixeira was suspended during high school when a classmate overheard him discussing Molotov cocktails and other weapons, and racial threats.
The leaked documents appear to detail US and NATO aid to Ukraine, as well as US intelligence assessments regarding US allies that could strain ties with those nations.
Some show real-time details from February and March of Ukraine’s and Russia’s battlefield positions, and precise numbers of battlefield gear lost and newly flowing into Ukraine from its allies.
Authorities have not disclosed an alleged motive.
Members of the Discord group have described Teixeira as someone looking to show off, rather than being motivated by a desire to inform the public about US military operations or to influence US policy.
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS