A viral claim circulating on social media attempts to link DOJ document EFTA00147661 from the recently released Epstein files to Gabriella Rico Jimenez, a Mexican woman whose 2009 outburst about elite cannibalism was filmed outside a Monterrey hotel. After thorough analysis of the document and extensive research, this fact-check finds the claim to be FALSE. There is absolutely no connection between the two, and the document itself contains testimony that the FBI explicitly dismissed as not credible.
Document EFTA00147661 is an FBI internal email chain dated August 28, 2019, documenting an interview conducted by FBI New York Squad C20 and NYPD Detective Bureau Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Task Force. The interview was with a male individual claiming to be an Epstein victim. The document reveals that this person was referred to the FBI by Michael Moore, identified as the creator of True Pundit, which the FBI describes as a conspiracy-driven news website that attempts to paint the FBI in a bad light. Notably, the document states that Moore has a criminal record as a result of an FBI investigation for copyright infringement.
The claims made by this individual during the FBI interview include allegations of being raped by Jeffrey Epstein and former President Bill Clinton on a yacht in 2000, witnessing babies being dismembered and their intestines removed, individuals eating feces from these intestines, being subjected to a ritualistic sacrifice where his feet were cut with a scimitar, and being raped by former President George H.W. Bush. The claims are extreme and mirror common conspiracy theory narratives that have circulated online for years.
Critically, the FBI explicitly assessed this testimony as not credible. According to the document, the individual stated he was unemployed and resided with his mother and her unemployed boyfriend. He admitted to having ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms and other illicit substances in the past and currently smoking marijuana. Most significantly, he stated that all of the above incidents were recovered repressed memories that emerged only after he began therapy sometime around 2016. He offered no supporting or corroborating evidence or witnesses that could be contacted. The FBI agent noted that the individual appeared emotionally unbalanced. The document concludes with a clear recommendation that no additional investigative resources be expended concerning this claim.
The concept of recovered repressed memories has been largely discredited by mainstream memory researchers. According to the scientific literature, recovered memory therapy is described as a catch-all phrase for scientifically discredited therapeutic processes that can create false memories. Research has shown that approximately 30 percent of tested subjects formed false memories of autobiographical experiences when subjected to suggestive techniques. Clinical psychologist Richard McNally has stated that the notion that traumatic events can be repressed and later recovered is the most pernicious bit of folklore ever to infect psychology. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 1995 that repressed memory testimony is not admissible as evidence due to its unreliability and tendency to be therapeutically induced.
Michael Moore of True Pundit, who referred this individual to the FBI, has a documented history that raises serious credibility concerns. According to BuzzFeed News, True Pundit is a far-right fake news website known for publishing conspiracy theories, including helping spread the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. Moore was arrested by federal agents in November 2011 for running websites that sold pirated hockey DVDs and pleaded guilty to copyright infringement in June 2013. After completing his probation in 2016, he launched True Pundit with content dedicated to stories attempting to make the FBI look bad. Moore has openly admitted his motivations, writing that these bastards and their bosses were going to pay for violating his family.
Gabriella Rico Jimenez is a Mexican woman who, on August 3, 2009, was filmed outside the Fiesta Inn hotel in Monterrey in a state of visible distress. She made claims about elite cannibalism, mentioned Carlos Slim Domit, and referenced the death of Mexican Secretary of Gobernacion Juan Camilo Mourino. She was detained by local authorities and reportedly taken to a psychiatric facility. Her subsequent whereabouts have never been officially confirmed, and no verifiable Mexican government records about her arrest, detention, or medical status have been made public.
The document EFTA00147661 does not mention Gabriella Rico Jimenez anywhere in its three pages. The document is dated August 2019, a full decade after her 2009 incident in Monterrey. The individual interviewed by the FBI in the document is described as male, while Jimenez is female. There is no geographical connection, as the FBI interview concerns events allegedly occurring in the United States, while Jimenez's incident occurred in Mexico. The claims, while both involving extreme allegations, are distinct and unrelated.
The Department of Justice has issued explicit warnings about the nature of documents in the Epstein files release. The DOJ stated on social media that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual. Officials have confirmed that the release includes unvetted tips from the public, some of which contain unfounded and false claims. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged that mistakes are inevitable in processing such a massive document release.
Social media users attempting to connect document EFTA00147661 to Gabriella Rico Jimenez appear to be engaging in a form of confirmation bias, looking for any document mentioning cannibalism or extreme abuse to retroactively validate claims made in unrelated contexts. This pattern of connecting unrelated events based on superficial similarities is a hallmark of conspiracy theory formation. The fact that the FBI explicitly dismissed the testimony in document EFTA00147661 as not credible is being widely ignored by those sharing these claims.
Fact-checking organizations have also addressed these viral claims. Factually.co has noted that while investigators may have known of elements referenced in various claims, the released documents do not substantiate the most extreme cannibalism allegations. The unsealing of Epstein-related documents prompted new social media interest, but responsible outlets note that interpretations linking unrelated events are entirely speculative and not supported by any official evidence.
In conclusion, the claim that document EFTA00147661 validates or connects to Gabriella Rico Jimenez's 2009 claims is demonstrably false. The document contains testimony from an individual whom the FBI assessed as not credible, who admitted to drug use, who based his claims on scientifically questionable recovered memories, and who was referred by someone with a documented grudge against the FBI. Jimenez is not mentioned in the document. The DOJ has explicitly warned that documents in the release include unverified public tips that may be untrue. Those sharing this misinformation are exploiting public interest in the Epstein case to spread unfounded conspiracy theories.
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