Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Department of War and Justice Department created a joint task force to identify people who unlawfully disclose sensitive national defense information to the news media and pursue criminal prosecution when warranted.
“To leak sensitive national defense information is to betray our warriors and put them in danger,” Hegseth wrote in the X post accompanying his video announcement.
To leak sensitive national defense information is to betray our warriors and put them in danger.
That’s why the @DEPTOFWAR and @THEJUSTICEDEPT have created a joint task force to IDENTIFY AND PROSECUTE LEAKERS. pic.twitter.com/pMqXuo21Mm
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) July 13, 2026
Hegseth said unauthorized disclosures can damage national security, disrupt military operations and endanger service members. The Department of War and Justice Department will coordinate through the new task force to identify suspected leakers and refer potential criminal cases for prosecution.
Office of General Counsel gets expanded authority
“The unauthorized disclosure of sensitive War Department information has the very real potential to cause exceptionally grave damage to our national security and the operational integrity of our armed forces,” Hegseth said.
“I have delegated tasking authority to the War Department’s Office of General Counsel, empowering OGC to request and receive all information, records, and support across the department concerning media leak investigations,” he added.
War Department components and personnel must prioritize those requests and provide a full response within 48 hours, Hegseth said. The directive places the Office of General Counsel at the center of internal leak investigations and gives it authority to obtain records and support from across the department.
Hegseth warns that leaks put troops at risk
“Leaked information risks lives,” Hegseth said. “These new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force.”
“The security of our nation cannot be a bargaining chip for those who seek momentary headlines,” he added. “Access to confidential and secret information is a sacred trust, and those who betray that trust will be met with the full force of the law.”
The task force targets unauthorized disclosures of sensitive defense information. The announcement does not classify every disclosure to a news organization as a crime, and prosecutors would still need to determine whether the facts support charges under federal law.
Announcement follows subpoenas in leak investigation
The announcement came days after federal prosecutors issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists seeking testimony before a grand jury connected to reporting on security concerns involving President Donald Trump’s Qatari-donated Air Force One.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not confirm or deny the subpoenas but said the administration was not targeting reporters and remained focused on people who leak classified information, Reuters reported. The newspaper and press advocacy groups criticized the subpoenas as a threat to press freedom.
Previous leaks drew warnings from federal officials
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Border Czar Tom Homan said a 2025 leak about an immigration enforcement operation in Aurora, Colorado, may have helped targets evade federal agents. Homan warned that repeated disclosures could place officers at risk of walking into an ambush.
Provided by Dallas Express
