Jeffrey Epstein Files: Latvia & Riga Hotel Links Revealed

Epstein Files Link Late Financier to Recruitment in Latvia, Riga

February 5, 2026 – Newly released documents related to the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex criminal, reveal extensive connections between Epstein and Latvia, particularly its capital city, Riga. The files, unsealed by the U.S. Justice Department, suggest Latvia was a location for the recruitment of young women, according to reports from Latvian Television and other news outlets.

The documents contain over 500 mentions of Latvia and more than 800 references to Riga, often in contexts that point to recruitment efforts. Latvian models and modeling agencies are specifically named within the released materials, suggesting these agencies may have served as points of contact between Epstein’s network and individuals in Latvia. Some women are also identified as potential assistants to Epstein.

Correspondence within the files includes emails detailing planned flights to Riga from various European cities, including Moscow, Barcelona, Paris, London, Helsinki, and Amsterdam. Hotel bookings in Riga are also documented, with the Grand Palace Hotel appearing frequently in the records. While personal data within the documents has been redacted, the sheer volume of travel and accommodation arrangements raises questions about the purpose of these trips.

One email from 2011, reportedly from an Epstein scout named Ramsey Elkholy, discusses the appearance of Latvian women in response to a query from Epstein asking about Riga, and Estonia. The email describes Riga as a place where “almost every girl…has a great figure,” and details interactions with women in Jurmala, Latvia, including being provided with a car and driver. The scout claimed to have obtained “a ton of numbers” from women met in Riga, suggesting a systematic effort to connect with potential recruits.

The earliest mention of Latvia in the released files dates back to 2001, when an associate of Epstein claimed to have received a personal invitation to visit Latvia from the then-Prime Minister, Andris Bērziņš. However, Bērziņš has categorically denied any knowledge of such an invitation, suggesting the claim may have been an exaggeration.

Most of the Latvian entries in the files are dated around 2007 and 2017-2018. Correspondence from this period includes emails between Epstein’s assistant, Leslie Groff, and employee, Bella Klein, discussing travel arrangements. One document contains an anonymous inquiry regarding the budget for a “hotel room” approved for “J. E.”

The newly released materials are part of a larger release of approximately 3.5 million pages related to Epstein’s activities, compelled by a court order. The files also contain references to individuals in Lithuania, indicating a broader pattern of international recruitment.