Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon and the U.S. Department of Justice have formed a joint task force to identify and prosecute officials responsible for leaking sensitive information to the news media. Multiple outlets report that the effort is part of the Defense Department’s broader push to reduce unauthorized disclosures of information classified or otherwise considered sensitive. Hegseth announced the creation of the task force in a statement on Monday. He also said the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) will be empowered to request and receive information, records, and support across the department related to media leak investigations. Coverage emphasizes that the task force involves coordination between DOJ and the Pentagon, with the stated goal of pursuing enforcement action against leakers. While some reports describe it as a further step in a wider crackdown on leaks, all accounts are aligned on the central details: the interagency task force is created, it is intended to identify and prosecute leakers, and it is tied to investigations into unauthorized disclosures to journalists.