Federal investigators reviewed Jeffrey Epstein’s contacts with a Customs and Border Protection officer at Cyril E. King Airport in St Thomas after newly released Department of Justice files showed repeated emails, texts and social interactions between Epstein and multiple CBP staff. The inquiry, opened as a preliminary FBI matter in October 2019, produced subpoenas for credit reports related to four CBP officers but did not result in criminal charges against any agent. Documents describe invitations to Epstein’s Little St James island, offers of financial advice and occasional gifts, while U.S. agencies say there is no public evidence that CBP officers knowingly aided trafficking. The records’ release is partial and inconsistently redacted, leaving open questions about the full scope of contacts and any remaining files.
Key Takeaways
- FBI opened a preliminary investigation on 10 October 2019 after a report concerning Timothy “Bill” Routch, a long-serving CBP agricultural inspector who worked pre-clearance at St Thomas for over seven years.
- Federal subpoenas sought credit reports for Routch and three other CBP officers; later reporting identifies six named officers who had communications with Epstein: Routch, James Heil, Jeff McNally, Glen Samuel, Alford Richards and Gerardo Martinez.
- No CBP officer was charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes; the files reviewed by reporters show no clear proof that officers had direct knowledge of trafficking.
- Epstein regularly used pre-clearance at STT to speed travel to the mainland and repeatedly contacted CBP officers to check who would be on duty or to seek assistance with travel issues.
- Pilot Larry Visoski told investigators he provided helicopter flights to some CBP officers and that Epstein asked him to call officers approximately 20 times to request after-hours processing; officers reportedly denied such requests about 80% of the time.
- Investigative files include instances of gifts, offers of employment opportunities or mentoring from Epstein to officers, and invitations to his properties, but several officers deny substantive involvement.
- Epstein was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019 and died in custody in August 2019; the U.S. Virgin Islands later sued his estate alleging trafficking and abuse on Little St James and Great St James.
- The Department of Justice release of Epstein-related files this month is partial and unevenly redacted, making it difficult to determine how many additional documents exist.
Background
U.S. Customs and Border Protection runs pre-clearance operations at certain overseas airports, including Cyril E. King Airport in St Thomas, allowing travelers to clear customs ahead of arrival in the continental United States. That system means travelers departing St Thomas to the mainland undergo CBP inspection on the island rather than at their U.S. destination, a process Epstein and his pilot frequently used to move people to Little St James and other properties.
Jeffrey Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to state-level sex offenses and was indicted federally in July 2019 for sex trafficking minors as young as 14, maintained a pattern of travel between New York, Florida, New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. His movement relied on private jets, helicopters and boats; prosecutors and civil plaintiffs later alleged he transported victims to his private islands using those means. The U.S. Virgin Islands attorney general filed suit after Epstein’s death, saying trafficking and abuse occurred on his islands.
Main Event
The DOJ files released to the public include emails and text messages showing Epstein communicating directly with several CBP officers and their supervisors, requesting information about who would be on duty, inviting individuals to his island and offering financial advice or small gifts. Records show James Heil, a supervisory CBP officer on St Thomas, remained in contact with Epstein from at least 2014 and exchanged messages that reporters describe as friendly; Heil acknowledged some interaction but did not provide further comment to reporters.
A March 2016 incident illustrates how Epstein and his circle pushed CBP procedures. About an hour out from Teterboro, pilot Larry Visoski received a satellite call indicating a CBP officer had ordered passengers not to disembark and to take the aircraft directly to the customs building, despite pre-clearance in STT. Visoski later said he received an apology but Epstein pursued additional information and asked for supervisors’ names; two weeks later another pre-clearance discrepancy occurred at Newark.
Investigators focused on Timothy ‘Bill’ Routch after a complaint alleged he had an ongoing friendship with Epstein while working pre-clearance in St Thomas for more than seven years. Routch acknowledged visiting Epstein’s island and interacting with him during official duties but denied any knowledge of trafficking and described the FBI probe as misguided. Federal prosecutors obtained subpoenas for credit checks on Routch in May 2020; additional subpoenas for Heil, McNally and Samuel appear in the files shortly thereafter.
Other officers named in the documents had varying degrees of contact: Alford Richards exchanged multiple emails and meetings with Epstein from 2015 to 2019, seeking financial guidance and occasional introductions to local work opportunities; Glen Samuel was asked to perform steel pan drumming on Little St James; Gerardo Martinez, a Palm Beach CBP supervisor, fielded Epstein’s questions about currency rules and passports in 2018. The released files do not show any criminal charges against these officers.
Analysis & Implications
The files raise questions about how social access and informal favors can erode operational boundaries in agencies tasked with border and trafficking enforcement. Pre-clearance locations like STT present logistical complexities and smaller staffing pools, which can create closer personal interactions between agents and frequent travelers; such proximity can increase opportunities for influence, whether intentional or inadvertent. Epstein’s pattern of reaching out to particular officers to check duty rosters or to ask about overtime highlights how persistent access-seeking can produce preferential handling even without explicit wrongdoing.
From a policy standpoint, the episode underscores the need for clearer gift and outside-activity rules, stronger oversight of pre-clearance posts and better documentation of after-hours processing requests. Federal agencies already bar accepting certain gifts and outside employment without approval, but the files suggest those rules are tested in remote posts where personnel have repeated contact with influential travelers. Strengthening reporting channels and whistleblower protections in territorial posts like the U.S. Virgin Islands could reduce ambiguity about improper relationships.
Legally, the absence of criminal charges against officers points to the difference between socially close relationships and criminal complicity; investigators sought financial and administrative records but appear not to have developed evidence of knowing participation in trafficking. Still, reputational damage and loss of public trust are real outcomes for the officers and for CBP, particularly given the gravity of Epstein’s crimes and the vulnerable populations CBP is mandated to protect from trafficking.
Comparison & Data
| Named CBP Officer | Location | Documented Contact | Subpoena/Inquiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy “Bill” Routch | St Thomas (pre-clearance) | Visited island; emails; interviewed by FBI | Credit-report subpoena; FBI preliminary probe |
| James Heil | St Thomas (supervisor) | Frequent texts/emails; invited to island | Credit-report subpoena; identified in files |
| Jeff McNally | St Thomas | Scheduled lunch; flagged as cooperative | Credit-report subpoena noted |
| Glen Samuel | St Thomas | Steel pan drumming invitations | Credit-report subpoena noted |
| Alford Richards | St Thomas | Regular emails; financial mentoring | No public subpoena in files |
| Gerardo Martinez | Palm Beach, FL | Regular communication in 2018; currency/passport queries | No public subpoena in files |
The table summarizes named officers and the public record available in the released files. Four officers appear to have been the focus of credit-check subpoenas, while others are visible primarily through email and text records. The uneven redaction and partial release of files make it difficult to determine whether additional administrative reviews or internal actions followed.
Reactions & Quotes
Officials at CBP and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to queries by the reporting deadline, leaving public questions about internal controls and follow-up actions.
I considered the FBI investigation a ‘wild goose chase’ and said all my encounters were business-related, not trafficking-related.
Timothy ‘Bill’ Routch, CBP agricultural inspector (as quoted to reporters)
Routch disputed many details in investigative memoranda and told reporters he had visited Epstein’s island for an agricultural inspection. His account and the FBI memorandum diverge on the number of visits and the sequence of events, according to the files.
VISOSKI had no knowledge of any CBP officer assisting EPSTEIN in trafficking underage passengers.
FBI memorandum summarizing pilot Larry Visoski’s interview
Visoski told investigators he transported some officers by helicopter and was asked repeatedly to call officers to request after-hours processing, but said he had not seen any CBP assistance with trafficking activity.
Unconfirmed
- Whether some scheduled visits to Little St James actually occurred; several invitations are documented, but attendance is sometimes unclear or disputed.
- Whether the credit-report subpoenas led to substantive administrative discipline or further confidential investigative steps; public files do not show subsequent actions.
- Two additional CBP officers identified in public reporting appear in emails and texts, but there is no public record that the FBI formally investigated them.
Bottom Line
The publicly released DOJ files show that Jeffrey Epstein maintained repeated personal and logistical contacts with several CBP officers in St Thomas and Florida, prompting a limited federal inquiry that produced subpoenas but no criminal charges against CBP personnel. The documents reveal a mix of social interactions, requests for assistance and occasional gifts or mentoring offers that raised investigative interest given Epstein’s criminal history and the trafficking allegations tied to his properties.
Even without evidence of direct complicity, the episode highlights vulnerabilities in small, remote pre-clearance posts where repeated contacts with influential travelers can blur professional lines. For policymakers and CBP leadership, the files argue for clearer enforcement of gift and outside-activity rules, stronger recordkeeping of after-hours processing requests, and more public transparency about how agencies handle credible allegations related to trafficking to maintain public trust.
Sources
- The Guardian — Media report summarizing newly released DOJ files and reporting interviews
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Official agency information on mission and pre-clearance (official)
- U.S. Department of Justice — Source agency releasing investigative files (official)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation — Investigative agency referenced in memoranda and interview notes (official)