Pentagon’s Blind Mouse Caught in a Trap

Pentagon’s Mole Caught in a Trap

Disclosure of Top Secret Documents

Pentagon’s mole was caught in a trap. According to Iran Gate, Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old pilot in the Massachusetts National Guard, suspected of leaking Pentagon information and living with his parents in North Dighton, was arrested by the FBI and appeared before Judge David Hennessy in Boston court.

If found guilty, Jack Teixeira faces a 20-year prison sentence, ten years for each of the two separate charges he is accused of. Currently, the judge has decided that he will remain behind bars at least until next week’s hearing.

This young man has been charged in Boston court with violating the Espionage Act, specifically unauthorized possession and transmission of national defense documents and information, as well as unauthorized removal of classified information and matters related to national security and defense.

The FBI Arrested the Pentagon’s Mole

The mole, who revealed many secret details through social media about the war in Ukraine and instances of Washington’s espionage on both its allies and enemies, has now become a figure. A 21-year-old American soldier serving in the U.S. military in the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s intelligence section, who loves war video games and is heavily influenced by conspiracy theories and distrust of the government, Jack Teixeira was arrested by federal agents on April 13.

He is the leader of a small online group called Thug Shaker Central, consisting of 20 to 30 gamers, which has been identified as the main source and cause of the recent scandal. The members of this group, many of whom are also very young, are not all U.S. citizens; among them are Russian and Ukrainian citizens as well.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who was on a trip to Ireland, had previously pointed to imminent progress in the investigation into what the Pentagon calls a criminal act. Teixeira’s identity was revealed by the New York Times, citing various sources, including police forces and the analysis of documents and photos.

Insufficient Network and Email Security Controls

This young soldier is part of the 102nd Intelligence Wing and was promoted to the rank of Airman First Class in July 2022. His current base, where he has a night shift, was in Cape Cod, and it is still unclear how he accessed such important documents. However, experts consider insufficient controls and the automatic sending of emails as one of the effective and main factors in this information leak.

Certainly, this case will spark debate about the U.S. security apparatus, where three million officials hold security clearances, and about the use of social media.

Exclusive Report by The Washington Post

The information leak was first reported by The Washington Post, with a long interview with one of the very young members of the Thug Shaker Central group.

This 17-year-old explained how maps and confidential files, some of which were transcribed and some photographed, became available in this group’s online chat on the Discord platform. This platform has a total of 19 million servers and 150 million global users, most of whom operate anonymously.

The distribution of classified documents was carried out by the group leader, described as a charismatic person. He was known by the alias OG, a person working at a military base where he has access to classified files. The Washington Post reported that this account was subsequently confirmed by another group member, and the Times also spoke with three other members of this online group.

Nerd Obsessed with Video Games

Based on conducted interviews, what is known so far is that these young people met virtually on video game sites during the COVID pandemic and subsequently decided to create a small group of individuals with shared interests. The common point among all members of this group was an extreme interest in video games, weapons, and war strategies, but in their group chat, besides games, they also shared messages based on religious rituals and racist content. A ‘Nerd’ is someone who is usually intellectual and introverted, with obsessive interest and passion for specific topics.

In virtual conversations, Teixeira always had dark and pessimistic views towards the government, considering it responsible for oppression and calling it deceitful. He expressed a willingness and readiness to educate and inform the group about the truths and events of the world.

It did not seem that his motivation was espionage goals or clear political missions and ideologies like famous whistleblowers such as Edward Snowden. One of the very young group members explained to the Times that he is a Christian, opposed to war, and wanted to inform his friends about what is happening.

If someone in the group did not pay attention to the documents Teixeira shared, he would get angry. This activity had been ongoing for more than six months, and no information from the Thug Shaker Central circle came out until recently when one of the participants began to repost this information and documents on popular YouTube channels, video game sites, social media, and even Telegram in Russia.

The Scandal That Shook the Pentagon

This scandal and information leak shook the Pentagon and diplomacy. The leak of these classified documents provided an insightful and up-to-date assessment of the war in Ukraine. It also revealed data and information about potential attacks on Kyiv, the depth of U.S. intelligence penetration into the Russian military and armed forces, and classified information about sensitive internal discussions with allies like South Korea over supplying Ukraine’s arsenal.