Carol Montgomery: The Customs Officer Who Maintained a Friendship With Jeffrey Epstein

PostedSeptember 26, 2026

UpdatedSeptember 26, 2026

ByEpsteinWiki

Snapshot

Carol Montgomery worked for United States Customs and Border Protection, known as CBP. Released emails document a personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein while she held a federal position involving border and travel procedures. Their correspondence continued after Epstein’s 2008 Florida conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

The records show Montgomery exchanging affectionate messages with Epstein, communicating with his staff about passports and boat documents, and seeking his financial advice. After discussing retirement, she asked him for work and later requested a $200,000 loan.

Those facts raise questions about the boundary between her official duties and her personal relationship with Epstein. The cited records do not establish that she approved an unlawful entry, received the requested loan, helped traffic anyone, or was charged with a crime.

Former Border Patrol agent Jenn Budd examined Montgomery’s correspondence in a broader investigation of Epstein’s relationships with CBP personnel. Budd argues that the contacts warranted scrutiny. Her conclusions should be read alongside the underlying documents, which establish specific exchanges but do not resolve every question about what occurred during inspections.

Who Was Carol Montgomery?

Montgomery appears in the released records as a CBP officer who dealt with Epstein, his pilot, and other members of his staff. The correspondence places her in the United States Virgin Islands during part of the relationship and later connects her to Washington state. By early 2016, she described herself as retired from CBP.

The files provide substantially more detail about her communications with Epstein than about her earlier life or full federal career. A verified public biography establishing her education, hiring date, complete assignments, and exact retirement date was not identified in the sources used for this article.

Her name also requires care. A Canadian Olympian, a Texas judge, and several other professionals are named Carol Montgomery. Their biographies and court records should not be attributed to the CBP officer merely because the names match.

The Relationship After Epstein’s Conviction

Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to offenses that included procuring a minor for prostitution. Montgomery’s documented friendship continued after that conviction.

A January 2010 greeting preserved as EFTA02432318 was addressed to Epstein and his pilot. Montgomery wished them well for the new year and signed as a friend. This is evidence of a personal connection, rather than a routine inspection notice.

The correspondence matters because Montgomery’s federal job and Epstein’s international travel could bring their professional and personal worlds together. A friendly greeting does not prove favorable treatment. It does establish that their contact extended beyond a single official transaction.

Passports and Boat Documents in January 2011

The January 2011 exchange in EFTA02389908 is central to understanding Montgomery’s work related contact with Epstein’s staff. According to the correspondence, staff were told to bring passports and boat documents for a registration matter. Montgomery supplied directions and said she could be called if the person bringing them became lost.

This is a concrete interaction involving travel paperwork. It shows Montgomery offering to handle a matter within her professional sphere for people working with Epstein.

The document does not, by itself, show that the documents were false, that an inspection was waived, or that a traveler entered unlawfully. Determining whether CBP rules were followed would require the relevant agency procedures and completed transaction records. The email establishes the offer and the personal access to an officer handling the matter.

The February 2011 Investment Request

In EFTA01836903, Montgomery asked Epstein about help investing $10,000. The request is significant because it places a federal officer in a personal financial conversation with a person whose travel could be subject to CBP processes.

The email establishes that she sought his assistance. It does not establish that Epstein invested the money, supplied funds, or received an official favor in exchange.

Personal Messages in 2011 and 2013

Montgomery’s November 2011 Thanksgiving message, EFTA01850531, wished Epstein well and expressed that she missed him. The tone is personal.

A January 2013 birthday email, EFTA01907425, described their relationship as a friendship of years and thanked Epstein for being her friend. Its affectionate language is evidence of how Montgomery characterized the relationship herself.

In EFTA01188239, a February 2013 message discussed Montgomery’s work schedule and travel plans, including a cruise and a possible chance to see Epstein. The document also contains a photograph of Montgomery and Epstein posed in front of a CBP seal. The photograph documents their association. It does not establish when every interaction between them occurred or what happened during any particular border inspection.

A September 2013 exchange, EFTA01955451, contains substantial redactions. The visible material supports discussion of continued contact. The redacted portions cannot be filled in with assumptions about trafficking, official favors, or the reason for the redactions.

Washington State and Invitations to Meet

Later messages connect Montgomery with Washington state and discuss opportunities to meet Epstein. The exchange in EFTA00983371 concerns travel and availability, including references to Seattle.

These messages help trace where the relationship continued after her Virgin Islands assignment. They do not establish that Epstein visited her, used a particular Washington airport, or transported anyone there for an illicit purpose. An invitation and a completed trip are different events.

Researchers have also discussed Anacortes, Bellingham, and Stanwood in connection with Montgomery’s correspondence. Those places should be included only when a specific message documents the particular location or proposed travel. Geographic proximity to an airport or port is not evidence of a trafficking route.

Her Response to Renewed Reporting in 2015

The February 2015 message in EFTA01746642 followed renewed press coverage of Epstein. Montgomery expressed frustration with the reporting, offered him encouragement, and reiterated that he could contact her. She also suggested that his pilot Larry could fly him north for some quiet time.

This message shows that Montgomery knew Epstein was again receiving public scrutiny and chose to express support. Her statement that she had faith in him was a personal opinion. It did not undo his 2008 conviction or determine the truth of subsequent allegations.

The September 2015 item EFTA02376921 preserves an email addressed to Epstein with its substantive content redacted. It documents contact, but its missing text does not support a claim about the subject of the message.

The December 2015 Employment Request

In EFTA01138835, Montgomery raised the possibility of working for Epstein after retiring from CBP.

That request is consequential because it adds prospective employment to an existing personal relationship involving a federal officer and a traveler whose affairs could intersect with her official duties. The cited email establishes the request. It does not establish that Epstein hired her, that she performed work for him, or that employment had been promised while she was still serving at CBP.

The $200,000 Loan Request in 2016

The February 2016 exchange in EFTA02473033 records Montgomery asking Epstein for a $200,000 loan. She discussed a delay in receiving retirement income and construction costs. She also described family concerns.

The amount and timing make this one of the most important documents in her file. Montgomery had retired from CBP by her account, but the request followed years of contact that overlapped with her federal employment.

The available cited exchange establishes a request, not a completed loan. It should not be described as proof that Epstein transferred $200,000 to Montgomery. A bank record, executed agreement, or other evidence of payment would be needed to establish that he provided the money.

Another released chain, EFTA02537089, has prompted discussion of financial assistance and caution about telephone conversations. Its precise meaning requires the complete exchange and surrounding records. An ambiguous phrase in an email cannot independently establish bribery or concealment.

The Wider CBP Investigation

Reporting on the federal investigation describes how investigators examined Epstein’s relationships with certain CBP officers after his 2019 arrest. The publicly described inquiry focused in particular on officers connected to the St. Thomas airport and questions about inspections and personal access.

That wider investigation is relevant context for Montgomery’s correspondence. It does not mean that every officer who knew Epstein was a subject of the same inquiry, faced the same allegations, or was found to have broken the law. No criminal charge against Montgomery was identified in the sources reviewed for this article.

Jenn Budd’s investigation argues that Montgomery’s personal financial requests and travel document correspondence called for examination under CBP ethics and inspection rules. That is an investigative assessment. The emails themselves document the contacts; a formal finding of misconduct would require an agency or court record reaching that conclusion.

What the Documents Do Not Resolve

Several important questions remain open in the cited record:

What specific CBP transactions did Montgomery complete for Epstein or his staff?
Were those transactions reviewed for compliance with the rules in force at the time?
Did Epstein provide the $200,000 loan or any other personal financial assistance she requested?
Did Montgomery ever work for Epstein after her CBP retirement?
Did an agency investigation examine her conduct or reach a finding about it?

The absence of an answer in the cited documents should not be converted into a yes or no. Correspondence can establish a request, relationship, or proposed action without establishing the outcome.

The records also do not show Montgomery recruiting victims, transporting victims, or knowingly facilitating trafficking. Those are serious claims requiring direct evidence about her own actions.

Key People in the Record

Carol Montgomery: CBP officer who exchanged personal and work related messages with Epstein and his staff.
Jeffrey Epstein: Convicted sex offender who received Montgomery’s messages, financial requests, and offers of continued friendship.
Larry Visoski: Epstein’s pilot, included in a greeting and mentioned in later discussion of a possible flight.
Epstein’s staff: Communicated about passports and boat documents in the January 2011 exchange.
Jenn Budd: Former Border Patrol agent who analyzed Montgomery’s correspondence as part of a wider investigation of CBP and Epstein.

What the Evidence Establishes

Montgomery’s relationship with Epstein was sustained and personal. It continued for years after his 2008 conviction. During her CBP career, correspondence concerning his staff’s passports and boat documents intersected with that relationship. She later sought financial advice, possible employment, and a substantial loan from him.

Those are documented facts that warrant careful examination of the relevant CBP transactions and ethics rules. The released emails do not establish an unlawful inspection, a completed $200,000 payment, or Montgomery’s involvement in trafficking. The distinction between a troubling documented relationship and a proven criminal act is essential to an accurate account.

Key Takeaways

Carol Montgomery worked for CBP and maintained a personal friendship with Epstein after his 2008 conviction.
A 2011 email discussed passports and boat documents involving Epstein’s staff.
She sought Epstein’s help with a $10,000 investment question while their relationship continued.
Messages from 2010 through 2015 document affectionate greetings, invitations, and support during renewed scrutiny of Epstein.
A photograph shows Montgomery and Epstein together in front of a CBP seal.
She raised the prospect of working for Epstein after retirement.
In 2016, she requested a $200,000 loan. The cited exchange does not establish that she received it.
Federal investigators examined relationships between Epstein and certain CBP officers. The cited reporting does not establish a criminal charge against Montgomery.
Her documented conduct raises questions about professional boundaries. Specific violations or participation in trafficking have not been established by the cited records.

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