France’s Epstein Investigation Expands as New Victims Come Forward (5/18/26) - The Epstein Chronicles

Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary

The Epstein Chronicles

Episode: France’s Epstein Investigation Expands as New Victims Come Forward (5/18/26)

Host: Bobby Capucci

Date: May 18, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Bobby Capucci discusses the breaking news that France’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein has expanded, with roughly 10 new alleged victims coming forward. Capucci places this development in the context of Epstein’s global network, reiterating his view that “the machinery” was always transnational and systematically protected by elites. The episode focuses on how the new allegations from France shatter the myth that Epstein's crimes were limited to the United States and highlights the importance of examining his operations in Europe, particularly France.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The True Scale of the Epstein Network (00:00–03:30)

Capucci rebukes the notion that Epstein's crimes were localized scandals, insisting that the operation was “far bigger, far uglier, and far more international” than most people realize.
“Epstein didn’t build a local operation. He built a transnational trafficking network… with the ease of a multinational corporation.” (A, 00:40)
The logistics, protection, and complicity required to move “vulnerable young women across borders, through luxury properties, onto private jets, and into circles occupied by billionaires, royalty, celebrities, politicians, and academics,” is a key point. Capucci stresses that this could not occur without institutional failures and an organized infrastructure (01:50–03:10).

2. The New French Allegations (03:30–07:10)

French authorities report around 10 new victims, indicating the probe is expanding.
“France is now seeing a growing wave of women step forward with allegations connected to Epstein’s orbit…” (A, 01:17)
These allegations show Epstein’s crimes were not “isolated to a handful of locations in America” but spread across Europe and globally.
Capucci asserts: “The allegations coming out of France reinforce what survivors, investigators, and even court documents have said for decades. This operation moved through Europe with the same confidence and protection it enjoyed in the United States.” (A, 02:15)
France has long been a “murkier, less examined front of the Epstein story,” with persistent rumors and connections to modeling agencies and high society social circles. Naming Paris, London, and agents like Jean-Luc Brunel as key French connections (04:10).

3. Why Every New Accuser Matters (07:10–09:30)

Capucci argues that every testimony “is another crack in the facade” of protection built around Epstein and his associates.
“You can ignore one person. Hell, maybe even two. What about 10? What about 12? What about 15?” (A, 05:31)
Persistent emergence of new claims keeps the story alive and increases pressure on authorities to act, inching closer to accountability.

4. France’s Investigation Approach & Implications (09:30–13:30)

French prosecutors, especially Paris prosecutor Laura Bacal, have publicly urged victims to come forward. Now, with around 20 possible victims known, about 10 are new to investigators (10:10).
Expresses skepticism regarding how much international law enforcement cooperation French investigators can expect: “I wouldn’t count on that. I mean, it is the Epstein administration, after all.” (A, 11:53)
Capucci calls for every person who benefited from Epstein’s largesse, not just direct perpetrators, to be investigated: “Anybody that accepted his money, they should be hemmed up.” (A, 06:51)
Mentions the need to search Epstein’s files, computers, phones, and ties to figures like Jean-Luc Brunel and Daniel Said (12:10).
Suggests that both structural investigation and full transparency are necessary to break the network’s silence and protection.

5. French Connections & Unanswered Questions (13:30–16:00)

Recalls past French investigations and the death of Al Sechel, a man who allegedly argued with Epstein over money and died mysteriously (falling off a cliff). Capucci pushes for French authorities to revisit such cases (13:54).
Notes that, so far, “none of the people who could potentially be implicated have been questioned.” (A, 14:41)
Reminds listeners that institutional failures and elite protection are hallmarks of why the case remains unresolved in both the US and France.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“That was the lie from the beginning. Because the truth was always far bigger, far uglier, and far more international than the public was encouraged to understand.” (A, 00:21)
“Human trafficking on this scale requires logistics. It requires protection. It requires institutional failures stacked on top of institutional failures…” (A, 02:10)
“The story’s not getting smaller. It’s getting bigger.” (A, 01:11)
“Every new accusation raises the same haunting question that nobody in power has ever adequately answered: How does a man accused of trafficking girls across continents for decades continue to gain more influence, more access, more protection, and more elite connections instead of less?” (A, 02:25)
“The choice that we’ve made... is to listen to these victims. A certain number of them are abroad, so investigators are trying to set up meetings to suit when they’re able to come to Paris.” (A, paraphrasing Laura Bacal, 10:30)
“We have to listen to all the allegations for what they are. Because I’m telling you, the vast majority of the people that have come forward have told the truth.” (A, 07:11)

Important Segment Timestamps

00:00–03:10 — Setting the scene: Epstein’s international operations
03:10–07:10 — New French allegations & why they matter globally
07:10–09:30 — The power of survivor testimony and counting victims
09:30–13:30 — Details on the French investigation strategies
13:30–16:00 — French connections, mysterious deaths, and lingering questions

Tone and Language Maintained

Capucci delivers the episode in his signature direct, unsparing style, repeatedly emphasizing the scale of complicity and calling out institutions and elites for their failures. There is a sense of urgency and frustration, but also hope that each new survivor’s voice cracks open the case.

Summary

This episode highlights a pivotal moment in the ongoing Epstein investigation—a widening probe in France, with new accusers stepping forward. Capucci argues that Epstein’s enterprise was globally embedded and institutionally protected, not just an American scandal. The episode urges vigilance, expanded scrutiny, and listening to every victim as the path toward exposing the full truth. The French developments, Capucci suggests, could be critical in finally unraveling Epstein’s web—if authorities pursue the investigation to the end.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
What's up, everyone? And welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. For years, people have tried to shrink Jeffrey Epstein down to a Manhattan scandal, a Palm beach scandal, or a rich man gone bad scandal. That was the lie from the beginning. Because the truth was always far bigger, far uglier, and far more international than the public was encouraged to understand. Epstein didn't build a local operation. He built a transnational trafficking network that moved through airports, embassies, private terminals, elite universities, royal circles, hedge funds, modeling agencies, luxury compounds, and billionaire dinner parties with the ease of a multinational corporation. The machinery stretched from New York to Palm beach, from New Mexico to the US Virgin Islands, from Paris to London, from Eastern Europe to South America. Girls were recruited in one country, transported through another, abused in a third, and then discarded, while the most powerful people on Earth hid behind lawyers, wealth, intelligence connections, and institutional silence. That's what made Epstein different. He wasn't operating in the shadows of society. He was operating inside its highest levels, in plain sight. And now, years after his death, inside the federal jail cell that somehow managed to malfunction at every critical moment imaginable, the story's not getting smaller. It's getting bigger. France is now seeing a growing wave of women step forward with allegations connected to Epstein's orbit, with roughly 10 new accusers reportedly emerging and describing encounters that investigators and journalists are now once again being forced to examine under an international lens. And that matters because it blows apart the fairy tale that Epstein's crimes were isolated to a handful of locations in America. The allegations coming out of France reinforce what survivors, investigators, and even court documents have said for decades. This operation moved through Europe with the same confidence and protection it enjoyed in the United States. The same social circles, the same money, the same access, the same culture of intimidation and silence. And every new accusation raises the same haunting question that nobody in power has ever adequately answered. How does a man accused of trafficking girls across continents for decades continue to gain more influence, more access, more protection, and more elite connections instead of less? Well, I'll tell you why. Because this was never about one predator. That's another comforting myth. People tell themselves Epstein was the nucleus of a much larger ecosystem. An ecosystem filled with fixers, recruiters, facilitators, financiers, socialites, lawyers, assistants, handlers, and powerful friends who all benefited in one way or another from proximity to him. You don't move vulnerable young women across borders, through luxury properties, onto private jets, and into circles occupied by billionaires, royalty, celebrities, politicians, and academics without infrastructure. Human trafficking on this scale requires logistics. It Requires protection. It requires institutional failures stacked on top of institutional failures until corruption becomes indistinguishable from normal business operation. And that's why every new accuser matters. Not because it adds another headline, but because every testimony is another crack in the facade that powerful people spent decades constructing around epstein. Now, the french allegations are especially significant because europe has long existed as one of the murkier, less examined fronts of the epstein story. London has been scrutinized because of prince andrew. Paris has surfaced repeatedly in social and modeling circles tied to Epstein and ghislaine maxwell. Connections to scouts, agencies, wealthy intermediaries, and elite social networks have floated around for years like smoke, without enough public pressure to force a real fire investigation underneath it. But now, as more women come forward, investigators are once again confronting the possibility that epstein's enterprise was not merely international in travel patterns, but international in structure. A rich criminal who travels overseas is one thing. A coordinated trafficking apparatus that operates fluidly across borders is something else entirely. And listen, despite all the documentaries, all the hearings, all the lawsuits, all the podcasts, all the endless headlines, we're still nowhere near a full accounting of what Epstein's empire actually was. Not even close. The public has fragments, flight logs here, depositions there, redacted files, sealed records, settlements, leaked emails, carefully worded denials. But the complete architecture, the full network, the financial relationships, the recruitment pipelines, the protection mechanisms, the extent of who knew what and when. That picture remains incomplete, which is precisely why these new accusations matter so much, because the story refuses to stay buried. It seems like every day, more voices emerge, more documents surface, more contradictions appear, More carefully maintained reputations begin to rot under scrutiny. Jeffrey epstein's dead, but the system that allowed him to thrive for decades clearly is not. Today's article is from france24.com and the headline, Around 10 new victims come forward in france's epstein investigation. This article was authored by France 24. Around 10 new suspected victims have come forward in the french probe and into the network of late USX offender jeffrey epstein, a Paris prosecutor said on Sunday. Well, that's good, and I hope more come forward, because the more people that come forward and give information, the closer we're going to get to people actually being held accountable. Right? You can ignore one person. Hell, maybe even two. What about 10? What about 12? What about 15? France opened a human trafficking investigation after the u. S. Justice department in january released the latest cache of files from the investigation into the disgraced financier who died in prison in 2019 while facing charges of trafficking Underage girls for sex. And look, this is a probe that should have been opened. From the very beginning, France played a gigantic part and there's a lot of people who were French citizens who work for Jeffrey Epstein. Obviously we know about Jean Luc Brunel, but there were others. He had a whole network and every single person that accepted any of his largess, anybody that accepted his money, they should be hemmed up. A French magistrate are seeking to investigate possible offenses committed in France or involving French perpetrators who facilitated his, his crimes. Oh, they shouldn't have a problem finding those. Plenty of those out there. Top Paris prosecutor Laura Bacal said around 20 suspected victims had made themselves known after she urged potential victims to speak up in February. Well, look, again, there's going to be people that come forward and of course there's going to be people that don't. And I think when people come forward and they have allegations against a guy like Jeffrey Epstein, we should probably listen to what they have to say. Now, that doesn't mean that everybody's going to be truthful, that there's not going to be people looking to, you know, benefit. That's always part of it. But I think we have to go in with an open mind and we have to listen to all the allegations for what they are. Because I'm telling you, the vast majority of the people that have come forward have told the truth. Some were already known to investigators, she told RTL broadcaster. But we also had new victims come forward, ones we didn't know at all. There are around 10 of them, she added. So that's significant, right? 10 people with a story to tell, what that story is going to be, who knows? The choice that we've made for the time being is to listen to these victims. She said A certain number of them are abroad, so the investigators are trying to set up meetings to suit when they're able to come to Paris. Investigators were also scouring through the so called Epstein files and would be searching them for any names mentioned by alleged victims. She said, yeah, they're going to have to do the whole entire thing, groundwork from the very bottom up. And I don't know much about the French system or French law enforcement, but I'm guessing that they're going to take it serious. You would think that something like Epstein would get people going, but as we've seen in America, that's not always the case, especially when you have powerful people that have, you know, something to lose. And I'm pretty sure all these people that were around Epstein have plenty to lose. We have also got to go back out to Mr. Epstein's computer, his telephone records, his address books, she said, adding her team would be making requests for international assistance. Well, I wouldn't count on that. I mean, it is the Epstein administration, after all. French investigators searched Epstein's luxury Paris apartment in September 2019, more than a month after he was found hanged in his New York jail cell after allegations that he procured young women to abuse in France. I don't even think it's allegations at this point. We've heard from the women who got abused by him and Weinstein in France. We've heard from how many women about Jean Luc Brunel, about Daniel said, about all of the other people that were involved in France. Oh yeah, there's a story to tell here. And I'll tell you what, you know what else France should look into? The death of Al Secel. When you go through the emails, there was a bunch of emails of Al Secel and Jeffrey Epstein arguing about money. Then Alsecco meets his demise in France, falls off a cliff. Okay, I guess none of the people who could potentially be implicated have been questioned so far, Bacow added. However, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring for prostitution, a girl under the age of 18 and served 13 months in prison, but before being released on probation. Alright, so things are heating up in France and we'll keep an eye on it and we'll see what comes of it. And when we have some more information, we'll get it added to the catalog. All the information that goes with this episode can be found in the description box.