In an explosive new investigation published on December 20, 2025, Drop Site News has revealed previously buried evidence that Jeffrey Epstein played a hidden but pivotal role in the late-1980s relocation of aircraft linked to the CIA’s Iran-Contra scandal. The report, titled “Epstein, Wexner, and the Ohio Airlift,” draws on declassified documents, flight logs, and interviews to show how Epstein facilitated the transfer of planes from covert CIA operations to the private airfield of billionaire Leslie Wexner—founder of L Brands (Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works)—at Ohio’s Rickenbacker International Airport.
According to the investigation, Epstein’s involvement began in 1987 when he was already managing Wexner’s personal finances and real estate under an extraordinary power of attorney. At the time, the Iran-Contra affair was unraveling: the Reagan administration’s secret arms sales to Iran and funding of Nicaraguan Contras had been exposed, leaving the CIA with dozens of aircraft it needed to quietly dispose of. Drop Site found that several of these planes—registered to front companies such as Southern Air Transport and later to the CIA’s “Enterprise”—were flown to Rickenbacker, a former military base Wexner had acquired through his real-estate arm.
Flight records and FAA filings obtained by Drop Site show that Epstein personally coordinated the movement of at least three aircraft between 1987 and 1989. He worked with pilots and logistics managers who had previously flown for the CIA’s covert airlift operations in Central America. One key document, a 1988 internal memo from Wexner’s Limited Inc., refers to “JE” (Jeffrey Epstein) as the point of contact for “special aviation acquisitions.” Epstein also arranged for the planes to be re-registered under shell companies tied to Wexner’s Ohio holdings, effectively laundering their origins.
The investigation stresses that there is no evidence Wexner or Epstein were directly involved in the Iran-Contra arms smuggling itself. Rather, Epstein appears to have acted as a fixer, using his access to Wexner’s wealth and political connections to help the CIA quietly offload surplus assets. Wexner’s Rickenbacker hangar, built with taxpayer incentives, became a convenient off-the-books depot for these aircraft, some of which remained there for years before being sold or scrapped.
Drop Site’s reporting raises fresh questions about the depth of Epstein’s intelligence ties. Former CIA officers interviewed for the piece describe Epstein as “useful” in the late 1980s for his ability to move money and assets discreetly. The article also notes that Wexner’s relationship with Epstein grew even closer after these transactions, culminating in the billionaire granting Epstein control over his fortune and properties.
As federal Epstein files continue to trickle out under the new transparency law, Drop Site’s findings add a geopolitical dimension to the financier’s shadowy rise. For victims and researchers, the revelation that Epstein’s empire intersected with Cold War covert operations underscores how his criminal network may have been protected—and funded—by powerful institutions long before his crimes became public.
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