Author Accused Of Releasing Information On Military Officer
Seth Harp, best-selling author and investigative journalist, just ignited a firestorm that’s now reverberating far beyond his usual circles in the publishing world. Harp, known for his controversial reporting on U.S. Special Forces, crossed a new line this week—one that has both national security watchers and average citizens stunned.
On Sunday, Harp posted on X (formerly Twitter) what he claimed was the identity of the current commander of Delta Force—the elite U.S. Army unit reportedly involved in the high-profile capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Harp didn’t stop at naming him; he added a screenshot containing personal information and accused the commander of "invading a sovereign country" and "kidnapping the rightful president." The backlash was immediate—and furious.
Seth, I already reported you to people at the Pentagon
You fucked up, and it’s all because you’re an anti-American bag of shit
You let your book get to your head and convince you to dox a soldier
Whether you’re legally fucked is in the air, but one thing is certain — all the… pic.twitter.com/poOGSpsU5D
— Aidan (@aidannonx) January 5, 2026
Critics were quick to call it what it was: doxxing. Military families, veterans, journalists, and concerned users warned Harp that he was painting a target on the back of an active-duty special operations officer, jeopardizing both the commander’s safety and the broader mission of the men he leads.
The original post didn’t last long. After Harp made his account private in the face of mounting criticism, X removed the post with a clear message: “This Post violated the X Rules.” By Monday, the post was deleted altogether.
But Harp is digging in. In a statement to Mediaite, he denied doxxing, claiming he shared only a publicly available biography. He defended the move as part of legitimate journalistic scrutiny into the U.S. military’s role in the takedown of Maduro—whom he audaciously labeled “the rightful president of Venezuela.”
Let’s pause on that for a moment.
Maduro is facing federal charges in the U.S. for narco-terrorism and trafficking thousands of tons of cocaine into American communities. His regime left Venezuela shattered by corruption, food shortages, hyperinflation, and violent crackdowns. Yet here is Harp, not only rushing to his defense, but accusing the U.S. military of criminal acts for removing him.
The timing of the post—just a day after President Trump’s administration launched the military operation that brought Maduro to U.S. soil—raises even more questions. If Harp truly believes this is a case of unlawful U.S. aggression, he’s taking that argument to an extreme that many see as reckless and dangerous.
Members of Delta, along with other service members who belong to Special Missions Units, are taken out of the "system" and put on a special roster so their identities cannot be searched by any random service member who has access to the personnel system.
Seth says "if you serve… https://t.co/lU9XMCyHuK
— Shoe (@samosaur) January 5, 2026
Harp’s résumé is filled with prestigious bylines—Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, The New York Times. His book The Fort Bragg Cartel is being adapted into a series by HBO, where he’s listed as an executive producer. But even his media credentials may not shield him from the professional and ethical fallout of this episode.
What Harp views as “journalistic scrutiny,” many others see as a dangerous betrayal of national trust. In the fog of geopolitical conflict, one thing is clear: this time, the reporter may have stepped too far into the story.
