Ghislaine Maxwell Being a 'War Criminal', Resurfaces After Epstein Files Release

Ghislaine Maxwell's name, already linked to one of the most notorious criminal networks of the past decade, returned to the global spotlight after the US Department of Justice released a tranche of long-sealed records related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

The release has prompted detailed public scrutiny of Maxwell's documented conduct and also revived a peculiar story first reported in 2002, in which she allegedly discussed flying a military helicopter over Colombia and firing rockets at a terrorist camp.

What the Released Epstein Files Actually Show

In December 2025, under pressure from Congress and the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the US Department of Justice released thousands of documents related to Epstein's long-running criminal investigation, including photos, court records and redacted materials connected to Maxwell.

The first batch was heavily redacted and has been widely described by legal analysts as a mix of investigative evidence and social media-style photographs. Many images show Epstein and Maxwell with well-known public figures. Government officials emphasised that the files do not prove wrongdoing by everyone pictured and that context is often missing or unclear.

Origins of the Colombia Story

The Colombia anecdote originates from a 2002 social profile published in The Observer, preserved in online archives and later circulated on social media. In the profile, New York socialite Vikram Chatwal recalled attending a dinner at Ghislaine Maxwell's Manhattan townhouse. He said that Maxwell told a story about flying a Blackhawk helicopter over Colombia and firing a rocket into what she described as a terrorist camp. He added, without verification, that she 'blew up a tank', which he found impressive.

The account was anecdotal and unverified even at the time of publication. The Observer profile was primarily a social lifestyle piece focused on Chatwal, not an investigative report into Maxwell's military or paramilitary activities. While there is no evidence that Maxwell ever served in the military, trained as a combat pilot, or participated in armed actions abroad, observers quickly linked the story to one of the DOJ-released photos showing Maxwell with a member of the Colombian Air Force.

Photos in New Files Trigger Speculation — But Not Evidence

Following the DOJ's release of Epstein-related files, online commentators highlighted certain images, including photographs of Maxwell standing beside aircraft and posing informally with individuals in military aviation uniforms, as a catalyst for reviving the 2002 anecdote. Some speculative posts noted Maxwell drinking beer with a Colombian Air Force member, with a helicopter in the background, suggesting possible militant involvement.

A Colombian news report on the files noted that Maxwell, in an interview transcript now publicly accessible, discussed her interests in aviation and travel with then-President Andrés Pastrana during flights to Colombia. The same report referenced earlier commentary from a biographical book, which stated that Maxwell told stories about flying a helicopter in Colombia and firing a rocket at a 'terrorist camp' in social settings, echoing the Observer profile.

At most, this represents a retelling or boast of a thrill-seeking narrative, not substantiated military action, and there is no independent public evidence that it occurred as described.

The resurgence of this anecdote illustrates how newly released documents, even when unrelated to a specific claim, can reignite public interest in previously forgotten details of controversial figures' personal histories.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on sex-trafficking and related charges in federal court and is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein's criminal enterprise. Her conviction was based on extensive witness testimony and a thorough legal process, and the evidence released in 2025 relates primarily to Epstein's long-running investigation, without altering the legal record of Maxwell's established offences.

Some commentators have used the Colombia helicopter story as a rhetorical device, with a few going so far as to label Maxwell a 'war criminal' online.