Wyden Says DOJ Blocked Unredacted Epstein Drug‑Probe Memo
Sen. Ron Wyden, D‑Ore., is accusing Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of preventing the Drug Enforcement Administration from giving him an unredacted 2015 task‑force memo on a secret, years‑long Epstein drug‑trafficking and prostitution investigation, escalating an ongoing fight over access to federal 'Epstein files.' Wyden says Senate Finance Committee staff were told DEA stood ready to comply until Blanche intervened in recent weeks, while Blanche publicly counters that Wyden is 'fabricating' the story and that the full memo is available to members of Congress in a DOJ reading room that Wyden has not visited. The 69‑page OCDETF fusion‑center report, released to the public only in heavily blacked‑out form in January, shows Epstein and 14 unnamed associates were targeted over wire transfers tied to MDMA and other 'club drugs' and alleged narcotics‑linked prostitution activity in the U.S. Virgin Islands and New York City, a probe law‑enforcement sources say was significant and ran for at least five years. CBS reports that current FOIA requests for more detail have been denied on grounds that releasing the memo could interfere with enforcement proceedings or expose informants, suggesting aspects of the case may still be active or touch other targets. The clash sharpens questions about how extensively federal agencies investigated Epstein beyond sex‑trafficking charges, why a serious DEA case was unknown to later SDNY prosecutors, and whether DOJ is using secrecy to shield ongoing operations or to limit political damage over past inaction.
📌 Key Facts
- Wyden wrote to Deputy AG Todd Blanche alleging he is blocking DEA from producing an unredacted 2015 OCDETF memo on Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged drug trafficking and money laundering.
- Blanche responded on social media that 'no one is blocking anything' and said the unredacted memo is available to members of Congress in DOJ’s reading room, which Wyden has not used.
- The 69‑page memo, marked 'law enforcement sensitive,' shows DEA was investigating Epstein and 14 others over suspicious wire transfers tied to MDMA and other 'club‑drug' trafficking and prostitution in the U.S. Virgin Islands and New York.
- DEA denied CBS’s FOIA request for more information this month, citing a risk of interfering with enforcement proceedings and potential exposure of confidential informants or enforcement actions.
- Sources say the DEA case ran for at least five years and involved a fusion center workup, indicating it was considered a significant investigation separate from the later SDNY sex‑trafficking case.
📊 Relevant Data
Black girls are disproportionately represented among child sex trafficking victims in certain U.S. states; for example, in Louisiana, Black girls account for nearly 49% of child sex trafficking victims, though they comprise about 19% of the youth population.
Racial Disparities, COVID-19, and Human Trafficking — Polaris Project
In a study of 66 survivors of domestic trafficking for sexual exploitation, 42% reported being forced to take drugs or alcohol by traffickers to control and facilitate abuse, with substances including club drugs like MDMA and GHB.
Traffickers' Use of Substances to Recruit and Control Victims of Domestic Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation in the United States — Anti-Trafficking Review
Risk factors for domestic minor sex trafficking include childhood maltreatment and substance abuse, which are more prevalent among certain demographic groups, increasing their vulnerability; for instance, Black children experience higher rates of sexual abuse, a key risk factor.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time