International Dimensions β€” France

international v2 Updated 2026-02-26
#brunel #doj-evidence-complete #epstein-document #france #international

Source: Epstein World Pulse β€” Master Index. All claims are from internet research as of February 2026. DOJ file evidence cross-referenced 2026-02-26.

Overview

France's connection to the Epstein case is primarily through Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent named as one of the six unredacted co-conspirators who died by suicide in a French prison in February 2022 while awaiting trial. France had been pursuing its own criminal investigation of Epstein's network before Brunel's death effectively closed that avenue. The French case also involves broader concerns about modeling industry exploitation that predated and postdated the Epstein revelations.

Key Facts and Claims

Jean-Luc Brunel β€” The Central French Figure

  • Jean-Luc Brunel was a French modeling agent and close Epstein associate.
  • He was one of the six co-conspirators named publicly by Rep. Ro Khanna from FBI August 2019 documents on February 10, 2026.
  • Allegedly recruited young girls through modeling fronts β€” connecting the French modeling world to Epstein's victim pipeline.
  • Was charged in France with rape (involving minors and adults) in connection with his Epstein-related activities.
  • Died by suicide on February 19, 2022, in La SantΓ© Prison in Paris while awaiting trial on the rape charges.
  • His death eliminated the possibility of his testimony or prosecution in France.
  • Brunel had been friends with Epstein for decades; their modeling agency connections gave them access to young women across Europe.

French Criminal Investigation

  • France had launched a formal criminal investigation into Epstein's network, led by the Paris public prosecutor's office.
  • The investigation was active during 2021–2022 and was closely connected to the Brunel case.
  • Brunel's death in February 2022 significantly impacted the scope of the French investigation.
  • Multiple other French individuals were named in connection with the investigation, though less publicly than Brunel.

Modeling Industry Context

  • The intersection of the fashion/modeling industry with Epstein's victim recruitment pipeline is a France-specific dimension: Brunel's MC2 modeling agency (and its predecessor, Karins) were alleged to have been used as fronts for victim recruitment.
  • Maxwell also had ties to the European modeling world.
  • The modeling industry context connects to broader French and European debates about exploitation of young women in fashion.

Context and Analysis

Brunel's death is one of the most significant single events in the broader Epstein accountability narrative. As the only co-conspirator facing active criminal prosecution at the time of his death (Maxwell was convicted in December 2021), Brunel's suicide eliminated a major potential source of testimony about the operation's European dimension. France's investigation effectively stalled after his death.

Key Claims for DOJ Evidence Cross-Reference

  • Claim A: Jean-Luc Brunel was a French modeling agent, Epstein co-conspirator, and was named one of six unredacted co-conspirators by Rep. Khanna on February 10, 2026.
  • Claim B: Brunel was charged in France with rape (involving minors and adults) in connection with Epstein-related activities.
  • Claim C: Brunel died by suicide on February 19, 2022 in La SantΓ© Prison, Paris, while awaiting trial on the rape charges.
  • Claim D: Brunel allegedly recruited victims through modeling fronts, including his MC2 agency.
  • Claim E: France launched a formal criminal investigation into Epstein's network connected to the Brunel case; it was significantly impacted by Brunel's death.

DOJ File Evidence

Claim A β€” Brunel as French modeling agent and Epstein co-conspirator

Verdict: SUPPORTS (co-conspirator and modeling connection well-documented; Rep. Khanna's Feb 2026 naming is post-corpus)

The DOJ corpus extensively documents Brunel's role as Epstein's modeling-industry co-conspirator prior to the Feb 2026 congressional naming.

  • EFTA01122242 (FBI investigative summary / Daily Beast articles compiled): States explicitly that "The FBI is also investigating Epstein's friend Jean Luc Brunel, whose MC2 modeling agency appears to have been a source of girls from overseas who ended up on Epstein's private jets." Also details that "Epstein gave $1 million to his friend Jean Luc Brunel when he was starting the modeling agency MC2." Brunel is named throughout as a key Epstein associate and co-conspirator in civil filings.
  • EFTA02815349 (JPMorgan TVPA civil enforcement filing): Names Brunel directly in the context of TVPA co-conspirator enforcement: "In 2019, Brunel was arrested and charged with rape of..." confirming his co-conspirator status in US legal proceedings.
  • EFTA02811302 (victim/model testimony): Documents that models were told of "his connections with Epstein, or his past" β€” confirming Brunel's known association with Epstein in the modeling industry.
  • Note: Rep. Khanna's public naming of Brunel on February 10, 2026 draws on FBI documents from August 2019. That specific naming event is post-corpus. However, the FBI's own 2019 co-conspirator designation is documented throughout the corpus.

Claim B β€” Brunel charged in France with rape of minors and adults

Verdict: SUPPORTS

Multiple corpus documents directly confirm the French rape charges against Brunel.

  • EFTA00174043 (FBI TAC Operations internal wire, Feb 22, 2022, citing AFP/Jakarta Post): "His former associate Brunel, in his mid-70s, had been charged with the rape of minors and held in prison since December 2020. He was briefly freed in late 2021 but then re-incarcerated on a Paris court of appeal ruling." Confirms charges included rape of minors.
  • EFTA00174036 (FBI TAC Operations internal wire, Feb 22, 2022, citing Italian Il Giornale machine-translated from Italian): "The 76-year-old was indicted in late June 2021 for 'rape of a child under 15', charges he has always denied." Also confirms he was arrested at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in December 2020 as he was about to board a flight to Dakar.
  • EFTA02815349 (JPMorgan TVPA filing): Also references Brunel's arrest and rape charges in the context of TVPA enforcement.

Claim C β€” Brunel died by suicide on February 19, 2022 in La SantΓ© Prison, Paris

Verdict: SUPPORTS

Two separate FBI internal wires (sent February 22, 2022) document Brunel's death in granular detail:

  • EFTA00174043 (FBI TAC/AFP-sourced wire): "French model agent Jean-Luc Brunel, a close associate of disgraced United States billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead in his Paris prison cell, prosecutors said Saturday." States: "A source close to the investigation told AFP Brunel had been found dead overnight Friday to Saturday in the Prison de la SantΓ©." Notes: "The source said he had been found hanged, but this was not confirmed by prosecutors." Confirms: "Police are now investigating the cause of death." Records that Brunel's lawyers stated his apparent suicide was "not guided by guilt but a profound sense of injustice."
  • EFTA00174036 (FBI TAC/Italian-sourced machine translation): "The French Jean-Luc Brunel...was found dead hanged in his cell in the La SantΓ© prison. The death would have occurred in the night between Friday and Saturday and his body was found by a night patrol at one in the morning." Confirms the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the death and announced an investigation into its causes.
  • EFTA02812908: Confirms procedural detail β€” Brunel "for a few days in November 2021, before being returned to prison by decision of the Paris Court of Appeal" β€” corroborating the brief-freedom-then-re-incarceration account in EFTA00174043.
  • Both documents note that Brunel's death effectively closed his case "unless other suspects are implicated in the same case in the future."

Claim D β€” Brunel recruited victims through MC2 modeling agency

Verdict: SUPPORTS

The corpus provides extensive, multi-source documentation of MC2 as a victim recruitment front:

  • EFTA01122242 (FBI/Daily Beast investigative compilation): "According to a former bookkeeper, young girls were brought to the U.S. by MC2 β€” often from Eastern Europe β€” then traveled on Epstein's private jets." Also: a complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleged that "Epstein, Maxwell, Brunel, Rodriguez, and [others] deliberately engaged in a pattern of racketeering that involved luring minor children through MC2, mostly girls under the age of 17." Confirms: Epstein gave Brunel $1M when starting MC2; FBI investigated MC2 as a source of overseas girls.
  • EFTA00174036 (Italian wire, Feb 2022): "Brunel had gained prominence by leading modeling agency Karin Models and had founded MC2 Model Management with funding from Jeffrey Epstein, with offices in both New York and Miami and Tel Aviv. The agent recruited models from all over the world... According to the records of the trial, some of his clients were often sent for services in Epstein's home, not far from the agency's headquarters." Also references a 2005 message from Brunel to Epstein telling him he had sent "a Russian teacher who is 2x8 years old" β€” a reference judges concluded was to a 16-year-old Russian girl.
  • EFTA00722411 (civil filing): "the modeling agency MC2, a company for which Epstein provides financial support" β€” confirming Epstein's financial backing of the alleged front agency.
  • EFTA02434138: Describes Brunel as "French modeling agency owner Jean-Luc Brunel, who co-owns the MC2 agency."

Claim E β€” France launched formal criminal investigation into Epstein's network

Verdict: SUPPORTS

Two distinct corpus documents confirm the formal French criminal investigation, including a US-France Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) request:

  • EFTA00263107 (Wikipedia article on Jeffrey Epstein, captured May 2022): Contains a dedicated "Investigation in France" section: "On August 23, 2019, the prosecutor's office in Paris, France, opened a preliminary investigation into Epstein. He is being investigated for rape and sexual assault of minors under and over the age of 15, criminal association with a view to committing crimes, and association with criminals with a view to committing offenses. The prosecutors said that the goal of the investigation is to find possible crimes committed in France and elsewhere against French citizens."
  • EFTA00077214 (US DOJ Office of International Affairs letter to AUSA, December 30, 2020): This is a formal DOJ letter transmitting France's MLAT request to a US Attorney, stating: "French authorities have begun an investigation into the actions of Jeffrey EPSTEIN and his accomplices, notably [redacted]. The French investigation has focused on, and French authorities executed a search warrant at EPSTEIN's Paris residence in September 2019, where they obtained evidence and information relating to [redacted] and Ghislaine MAXWELL. French authorities have identified multiple victims, though a number of charges related to these victims are barred by France's statute of limitations." The letter invokes the 1998 US-France MLAT Treaty and 2004 supplement β€” confirming the investigation was active as of late 2020 and had reached the stage of formal bilateral legal cooperation.
  • The corpus confirms that Brunel's death in February 2022 ended his prosecution. The EFTA00174043 AFP wire notes: "Brunel's death means his case is closed, unless other suspects are implicated in the same case in the future."

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