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After DOW leaker's arrest, Kash Patel says FBI ‘got more coming’ in brutal warning
FBI Director Kash Patel warned of more arrests, as social media users called for arrest of journalists like Amit Segal linked to the leaks.
The arrest of a former US military employee accused of leaking classified information has triggered a debate over national security leaks. Social media users have called for action against journalistic leaks following the arrest of a leaker and a warning from FBI director Kash Patel.
The US Justice Department charged a former Fort Bragg civilian employee with unlawfully sharing classified military information with a journalist, according to a report by Fox News.
Authorities allege the individual accessed sensitive defence data and shared it with a journalist without authorisation, in violation of federal law.
Fort Bragg arrest and warning from officials
Following the arrest, Kash Patel issued a strong warning, saying, “DOW leaker arrested by the FBI, tremendous work… and we got more coming.”
This comes amid the threats President Donald Trump made to detain a journalist to find the "leaker" responsible for the first news on Friday that a second Air Force officer from a downed US fighter jet was missing.
Following the press conference on Monday, Fort Bragg employee Courtney P. Williams was arrested for passing national defense material to an investigative reporter over a several-year period, including sensitive procedures used in clandestine missions.
Read more: Kash Patel issues warning to 'would-be leakers' after Courtney Williams' arrest
The Iran airman leak is the fuel for the controversy
In a press conference on Monday, Trump indicated that following the first airman's safe return on Friday, officials were attempting to quietly recover the second airman, but the public disclosure hindered the administration's military rescue operations in Iran.
Trump claimed during the press conference that the Iranian military was notified of the second crew member's disappearance, which prompted their conflicting attempts to locate him first.
Trump said, “We’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘National security, give it up or go to jail. The person who did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say.”
Although Trump did not name any specific media outlets or journalists, early speculations focused on Israeli journalists such as Amit Segal and Ariel Kahana.
According to CNN, A White House spokesperson refused to respond to questions regarding Trump's threats. The spokesperson said, “An investigation is underway.”
According to the New York Post, Military Times claimed that Israel's Channel 12 was the first to carry the news that a second American pilot was missing. Additionally, Amit Segal and Barak Ravid were among the first to share the information on X and Telegram, respectively.
Segal made a post on his Telegram account, “Search operation in Iran — for two American crew members.”
Later, Segal posted on X to break the first pilot's rescue, attributed to a "western source."
Read more: Could these journalists be Trump's ‘leaker’? Remarks on pilots rescue sparks row
Investigation and arrest of the leakers sparks debate
Kash Patel's statement after William's arrest, saying, “…we got more coming”, has led to questions of inconsistent enforcement in the FBI.
Some social media users have demanded action against Amit Segal amid the wider crackdown rhetoric, claiming that he released private security-related information.
A user on X, Ethan Levins, said, “They arrested the American leaker and let the Israeli one go…Wow.”
Another user commented on Kash Patel's statement and wrote, “How about an arrest for Amit Segal?”
Another user on X has called for an investigation into the Israeli journalist and wrote, “E THE PEOPLE demand the investigation into Amit Segal. Amit Segal attempted to get United States Military Air Force Pilots killed in Iran for Benjamin Netanyahu and the Mossad. It was a clandestine Hannibal Directive being orchestrated against people in the United States.”
However, there is no official indication that Segal is under investigation by US authorities.
