Jeffrey Epstein's efforts to build friendly relationships with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in the U.S. Virgin Islands have come under renewed scrutiny.
This comes after newly released Justice Department records revealed that those ties prompted a year-long criminal investigation into whether he received special treatment at the territory's main airport.
The documents, detailed in recent media reports, show that Epstein spent years building what one account described as "chummy" relationships with several CBP officers stationed at Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, the closest port of entry to his private island, Little St. James, according to the New York Times.
Between roughly 2008 and 2016, he offered officers meals, free helicopter rides, financial advice, and even arranged paid musical gigs for some of them, while also trying to donate items such as Thanksgiving turkeys and computer equipment to their office.
Supervisors reportedly blocked some of these gestures on ethics grounds, but investigators later questioned whether the favors that did go through created improper obligations.
In return, some officers allegedly provided what internal descriptions called "concierge" or VIP-style services, including whisking Epstein through customs inspections and helping resolve problems when he faced extra scrutiny at mainland U.S. airports.
Emails cited in the records show officers greeting Epstein warmly, assisting his travel after his 2009 release from jail, and maintaining friendly contact even after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor made him a registered sex offender.
The newly disclosed material indicates that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security opened a criminal probe in 2019, focusing on at least four CBP officers, including at least one supervisor, to determine whether their conduct violated federal law or agency rules, Wired reported.
Investigators examined whether officers knowingly allowed Epstein and his guests to bypass normal screening or failed to report ethics violations tied to the gifts and favors he provided.
So far, there is no public record that any of the officers were charged in connection with their dealings with Epstein, and CBP has not announced formal disciplinary outcomes tied to the case.
However, the revelations add a new layer to the broader scrutiny of how Epstein continued to travel and operate for years after his conviction, raising questions about institutional vulnerabilities at ports of entry that he may have exploited through personal relationships and targeted generosity, as per NewsMax.
