Newly surfaced records detail how Jeffrey Epstein and his circle systematically recruited women, and in some instances underage girls, from Brazil, channeling them through modeling pipelines into Palm Beach and New York, where they were allegedly exploited. Witness accounts describe offers of work, all-expenses-paid travel and visa sponsorships that turned aspiring models into the center of one of the biggest abuse investigations in recent memory.
The reporting is built on millions of pages that the U.S. Department of Justice released this year under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The Justice Department said the public release included more than 3 million responsive pages, along with images and video, and journalists have used the trove to map travel logs, emails and sworn testimony.
As outlined by the Miami Herald, Epstein relied heavily on model scouts, particularly Jean-Luc Brunel and agencies linked to his Karin/MC2 operations, to locate “fresh faces” in small Brazilian towns and local contests. The Herald reports that Epstein owned an apartment in São Paulo’s Vila Olímpia neighborhood, while Brunel’s teams arranged visa sponsorships, housing and introductions, and Epstein covered thousands of dollars in legal bills to secure travel for applicants.
“They were underage girls,” Maritza Vazquez, Brunel’s former bookkeeper, stated in a 2010 deposition reviewed by the Herald. The files also include flight manifests showing a 15-year-old Brazilian winner of a 2004 modeling competition flying on Epstein’s private jets between West Palm Beach, New York, Paris and Little St. James.
Probes in Brazil and Beyond
Brazilian authorities have begun acting on tips tied to the newly available documents. In February 2026, the Ministério Público Federal office in Rio Grande do Norte sent a complaint about alleged recruitment activity around Natal to the national human trafficking unit. MPF records indicate prosecutors asked the specialized unit to assess whether the material justified additional investigative steps.
DOJ Release Sparks International Inquiries
The Justice Department’s document dump has also prompted other governments to open or expand their own cases involving people and agencies named in the files. Reuters and other outlets report that authorities in Latvia, Lithuania and France have launched investigations, urging possible victims to come forward while officials comb through travel and contact records for signs of trafficking.
What Investigators and Survivors Say
Advocates for survivors say the documents give law enforcement valuable leads, but they also warn that Epstein’s 2019 death rules out direct prosecution of him and complicates efforts to collect evidence. An Associated Press review of internal Justice Department memos found that prosecutors documented instances of abuse but also flagged evidentiary gaps that could make it difficult to charge alleged co-conspirators, a reality that makes cross-border cooperation and witness testimony all the more important. AP
What to Watch Next
Brazilian prosecutors and the Justice Department both say their work is ongoing, and investigators in several countries are expected to follow the paper trail of travel, visas and payments that the records help expose. For now, the files are fueling renewed pressure for answers and for authorities to reach out to women whose stories could help determine who recruited, sponsored and ultimately profited from the scheme.
